President Joe Biden fired back at former President Donald Trump with a blunt fact-check after Trump issued a statement on abortion in which he portrayed overturning Roe v. Wade as a bipartisan popular position.
On Monday, Trump—who appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe—claimed he was “proudly the person responsible for the ending” Roe, which he claimed "all legal scholars [on] both sides wanted and in fact demanded be ended."
You can hear what Trump said in the video below.
Shortly afterward, Biden shut down Trump's lie with a message on X, formerly Twitter:
"Trump is lying: There was no groundswell of support in America for overturning Roe. In fact, support for Roe is higher today in America than it has ever been."
"The real truth is Trump made a political deal in 2016. He promised to appoint a Court that would get rid of Roe, so he did."
You can see his post below.
The official Biden-Harris campaign account also posted a CNN fact-check about abortion that included the following pertinent facts:
"Trump's claims are false. Democrats do not believe in execution after birth. The claim both sides demanded the end of Roe is completely false. Polling indicates the majority of Americans support a federally guaranteed right to abortion."
You can see the post below.
Trump has gone beyond asserting support from supposed "legal scholars" for overturning Roe. He has repeatedly asserted that "everyone" agrees on leaving abortion laws to individual states, implying widespread public consensus.
However, numerous polls have consistently shown that a majority of Americans—about two-thirds in multiple surveys—preferred preserving Roe.
For instance, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS in July 2023 revealed that 64% of adults opposed the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe, mirroring results from a similar poll conducted in July 2022, shortly after the ruling. Similarly, a Marquette Law School poll in February 2024 found 67% of adults opposed the decision.
Furthermore, an NBC News poll in June 2023 found that 61% of registered voters opposed the decision, while a Gallup poll in May 2023 reported that 61% of adults considered it unfavorable.
Many have echoed Biden's criticisms.
Before the announcement, Trump faced significant pressure to take a firm stance after wavering for weeks on endorsing a comprehensive 15-week ban. The former president privately expressed concerns that the issue could be politically damaging for Republicans, particularly if they did not support exemptions for maternal life and health.
Despite exhibiting some unease discussing abortion previously, Biden has consistently pledged to reinstate Roe through legislation if given the opportunity. He has framed the election as a pivotal moment for women's reproductive rights, drawing a clear distinction from Trump and Republicans, who have grappled with defining their position since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision nearly two years ago.
Biden and Democrats anticipate that the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe will work in their favor come November's elections, echoing how reproductive rights emerged as a significant issue in the 2022 midterm elections.
