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Former President Donald Trump is distancing himself from an Arizona court ruling that upheld a near-total abortion ban, saying it went too far.
Mr. Trump had sought earlier in the week to shift the discussion away from abortion when he said the issue should be left up to the states to decide.
But the next day, the Arizona Supreme Court thrust the issue back into the spotlight when it upheld a strict abortion ban that was established in 1864.
“Yeah, they did,” Mr. Trump said when asked whether the court erred. “That’ll be straightened out. I’m sure that the governor and everybody else are going bring it back to within reason.”
The ruling redefined the political landscape in Arizona — a battleground state where an open Senate seat is up for grabs and pro-choice activists say they collected enough signatures to put an amendment on the ballot that would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.
SEE ALSO: Trump defends new abortion stance in the face of sharp criticism from conservatives
“This was a huge shock to the political system,” said Arizona-based GOP strategist Barrett Marson. “I think that Arizona went from lean Trump to lean Biden, quite literally, overnight.”
Indeed, the ruling is manna from heaven for Mr. Biden and Democrats. Mr. Biden beat Mr. Trump in Arizona four years ago, and their rematch there is expected to be another tight contest.
As the president struggles to gin up excitement about his reelection bid, the ruling is helping Team Biden keep the focus on an issue that energizes their base, and away from simmering voter concerns over inflation and the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border.
They say Mr. Trump cannot escape the reality that his appointment of conservative justices to the Supreme Court led to the overturning of Roe v Wade, the 1973 decision that established a constitutional right to abortion, and opened the door for states to adopt strict abortion rights.
Mr. Biden tried to seize on the situation at a White House press conference Wednesday, although he made a gaffe that drew attention again to his age. Asked if he had a message for Arizonans, Mr. Biden replied, “Elect me. I’m in the 20th century,” he said, before quickly correcting himself. “Twenty-first century, not back then. They weren’t even a state.”
He was referring to an abortion law dating to 1864, decades before Arizona gained statehood.
Mr. Biden’s campaign blamed Mr. Trump for the ruling, noting that he appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court who ruled in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that allowed legal abortions nationwide.
“Donald Trump owns the suffering and chaos happening right now, including in Arizona, because he proudly overturned Roe – something he called ‘an incredible thing’ and ‘pretty amazing’ just today,” said Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler. “Trump lies constantly – about everything – but has one track record: banning abortion every chance he gets.”
Vice President Kamala Harris plans to hammer home that message when she travels Friday to Tucson, Arizona, marking her second trip to the state in as many months to “highlight how extremists in states across the country have proposed and enacted abortion bans that threaten women’s health, force them to travel out of state to receive care, and criminalize doctors.”
The Arizona law mandates a two-to-five years prison sentence for those who assist in an abortion. The law has an exception when it comes to saving the life of the mother.
The turn of events is proving to be a challenge for Kari Lake, the frontrunner for the GOP Senate nomination who during her failed 2022 gubernatorial bid said she would be “thrilled” to have a “great law that’s already on the books.”
Ms. Lake staked out a different position this week, saying she opposed the ruling and calling on lawmakers to pass an “immediate common sense solution.”
For his part, Mr. Trump has celebrated the role he played in overturning Roe.
At the same time, he has shied away from supporting a national abortion ban, while arguing that state laws should include exceptions for cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother.
He also blamed the GOP’s disappointing showing in the 2022 midterm elections on candidates who promoted strict abortion limits which did not sit well with the broader electorate, including young women.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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