Abortion at the heart of the US presidential election

With seven months to go before the elections, Donald Trump has alienated a section of his ultra-conservative electorate by changing his position on the right to abortion, a major issue in this campaign. During his presidential term, he was behind the repeal in 2022 of the constitutional right to abortion (the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe vs Wade ruling), leaving the States to legislate on this issue. Since then, around twenty states have already restricted or banned access to abortion. But on Monday 8 April, Trump declared that he was not considering a federal ban on this right if he won the November elections. Hoping to win over more moderate Republicans, women and young people, he has also provoked the anger of the most radical Republicans and the “MAGAs” who have made this “pro-life” battle a priority, alongside immigration and crime. A political calculation that could cost him dearly?

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