President Trump said in a video released Monday morning that the issue of abortion access should be left to individual states, following the Supreme Court’s overturn. Roe vs. Wade Despite campaign pressure from anti-abortion groups, the former president did not support any efforts to place federal limits on abortion, including the Graham Act, which would ban abortions after 15 weeks.
Trump berated Graham in a flurry of posts on social media platforms throughout Monday afternoon, after Graham said he “respectfully” disagreed with Trump’s conclusions on abortion policy.
Graham, Post Shared about X, the court’s judgment asserted that egg “There is no legal requirement for that conclusion.”
“Today’s states’ rights-only rationale, similar to the Dred Scott decision, limits late-term abortions and runs counter to America’s consensus on aging,” Graham said. Said. “The science is clear: 15-week-old children are fully developed and can feel pain.”
Mr. Graham has been a strong supporter of federal restrictions on abortion. Most recently, she was asked to suspend herself after her suspension from playing after 15 weeks of pregnancy was overturned. eggand has tried to coax Republicans into coming to a consensus on the issue.
President Trump made clear on Monday that he did not value Graham’s feedback. Trump said in one post that Graham “does the Republican Party and our country a huge disservice” by opposing his views on abortion policy, and that the senator should spend more time on border security. said. Mr. Trump suggested that Mr. Graham’s criticism was playing into the hands of Democrats.
“Democrats are excited about Lindsey because they want to keep this issue alive for as long as possible,” Trump said.
In another post, Trump argued that by allowing states to pass their own abortion laws, “we have largely ignored the issue of abortion.”
“We cannot allow our country to suffer further damage by losing an election on an issue that has always been and will be decided by America,” Trump said.
Graham told reporters at the Capitol on Monday that his views on abortion policy are “very consistent,” and that his 15-week ban would “promote no exceptions, except rape, incest, and the life of the mother.” “The aim is to prevent abortions.” ”
“I told the president that the pro-life movement is not about geography, it’s about children,” Graham said. “If we believe the pro-life movement is about the welfare of children, it should not be limited by geography.”
Graham said the last time he spoke to Trump about abortion was “about a week ago.”
In his post, Trump also praised the end of the story. Salmon roe — This ruling was made possible thanks to the three conservative justices President Trump appointed to the Supreme Court. He said many anti-abortion conservatives, including Graham, have been unable for years to overturn the landmark Supreme Court case that established the right to access abortion. Until he “comes in and gets the job done.”
Mr. Graham’s stance on abortion is not new, but the senator’s criticism of Mr. Trump marks a rare rift in recent years.
Graham and Trump were once political rivals, with Graham briefly running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and running for president during the campaign. warned Republicans opposed to Trump’s nomination for president — South Carolina Republicans sided with Trump when he became the party’s clear leader. Despite being a longtime foreign policy hawk, Mr. Graham emerged as Mr. Trump’s ardent defender in the Senate, following the president’s lead on his isolationist ideology.
Mr Graham previously announced that he would not send more aid to Ukraine in February, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy having previously promised to “go the extra mile” to help the country fight Russian aggression. voted against. On the Senate floor at the time, the South Carolina senator explained that he spoke with President Trump about the aid package that would send military funding to Ukraine, Israel, and U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific region, and the former president said, He says, “I’m absolutely against this package.”
Monday’s spat between Mr. Graham and Mr. Trump surprised some Republicans, but it was not the first time the two have sparred. Trump similarly slammed Republican senators after Graham said those who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol should be prosecuted.
“Well, Lindsey Graham is wrong. I mean, Lindsey’s a nice guy, but he’s a RINO,” President Trump said in a February 2022 Newsmax interview, using the acronym for “Republican in Name Only.” he said. It’s a word Republicans use to insult people they believe don’t belong. party.
In a lengthy critique of Graham on Monday, President Trump did not mention the senator’s staunch support on various issues in the Senate, instead doubling down on his attacks on Graham. Ta. He even suggested that Graham go back and “study the Tenth Amendment and states’ rights.”
Patrick Svitek, Theodoric Meyer and Paul Kane contributed to the report.
