Abortion rights advocates brace for impact before a second Trump administration

Advocates for women’s reproductive health are preparing for possible setbacks when President-elect Donald Trump (R) begins his second term in January. Although Trump has walked back several of his statements on abortion, members of the reproductive rights movement still believe his administration will make it more difficult for women in different states to seek reproductive care.

Joanne Howes, co-founder of pro-choice organization EMILYs List and a longtime reproductive rights activist said the controversial Project 2025 agenda constitutes the administration’s “playbook” for abortion– even though Trump has disavowed it repeatedly, several of his allies helped author the document.

"Even in states where abortion will remain legal, they will look for ways through Medicaid, insurance, and medical abortion regulations to make it more difficult for women to get an abortion," Howes said.

Howes pointed to Trump's October campaign promise to veto any federal abortion ban, calling it a calculated move that convinced roughly 10% of voters he wasn't as strongly anti-choice as his record suggests. "For the anti-choice people, if you care this much about it, why should it be a state's rights issue? It makes no sense," she said.

In the District of Columbia, reproductive rights organizations are strategizing on how to operate under the new administration, as Trump has called for a "federal takeover" of the district. Caroline Motley, founder of D.C.-based nonprofit Movement for Choice, expressed concerns about safety for abortion rights advocates. "Organizations like Movement for Choice could be deemed as terrorist organizations pretty soon," Motley said.

The new administration’s impact is already visible in healthcare decisions. Motley said she knew several women who avoid travel to states with strict abortion laws, fearing complications during pregnancy might leave them unable to receive proper care. Howes said even medical professionals are reconsidering their options: "If you're a gynecologist in these states, are you going to want to practice medicine in those circumstances?"

The generational impact of these restrictions weighs on advocates' minds. "For younger women who grew up not having to think about these issues, it's going to be a stark reality," Howes said, reflecting on her own experience before Roe v. Wade. "When I grew up, abortion was mostly not legal for me in my 20s. But it didn't have the same total disdain for women that now I feel like this is all coming from."

Activists remain determined despite the challenges ahead. "We're not backing down. We're not afraid," Motley said. "Whether that be speaking out publicly on social media, having conversations with your anti-choice relatives, or donating to local abortion funds that are on the frontlines of providing this care to people in need, we all play a role."

Currently, abortion remains legal in 21 states. However, advocates worry about potential federal restrictions on Medicaid funding and other healthcare services that could affect access even in states with protected abortion rights.

"The ramifications, even for women who live in these 21 states, in terms of how their lives are going to play out, is going to be very impactful," Howes said. "We're going to have to be very courageous and creative to ensure that the women in our country get the reproductive health services they need."