Signed Executive Orders to Restrict Abortion
Rejoining the Geneva Consensus Declaration to Limit Access to Abortion Rights
Some So-Called Pro-Life Activists Also Pardoned
On the 24th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized his stance against allowing unlimited abortion rights, one of the key issues in the U.S. presidential election, and consecutively implemented measures to restrict abortion rights.
According to U.S. daily newspapers The New York Times (NYT) and Bloomberg News, President Trump, through a video message sent to the annual anti-abortion rally "March for Life" held in Washington DC that day, said, "We will stop the radical Democrats' efforts to demand the right to unlimited abortion even after birth." President Trump emphasized, "I will proudly support family and life during my second term as well."
He referred to the overturning of the 'Roe v. Wade' ruling, which recognized abortion rights, by the conservative-majority federal Supreme Court in 2022, saying, "Thanks to your tireless efforts and dedication, a historic mistake was corrected three years ago." He further described the 'Roe v. Wade' ruling as "disastrous and unconstitutional."
He also stated, "I will stop the weaponization of American law enforcement against believers," adding, "I will release Christians and pro-life activists who were persecuted under the Biden administration for praying and practicing their faith." In fact, President Trump pardoned some so-called pro-life activists who were convicted of charges such as blocking the entrance to abortion clinics through executive orders since his inauguration on the 20th.
On the same day, President Trump signed an executive order restricting funding to organizations supporting abortion. Accordingly, international non-profit organizations must prove that they have neither provided nor promoted abortion services or counseling to receive U.S. federal funds. President Trump also signed an executive order reaffirming the effectiveness of the 'Hyde Amendment,' which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also announced that the U.S. would rejoin the 'Geneva Consensus Declaration,' which it had withdrawn from under the Biden administration. The Geneva Consensus Declaration was jointly initiated in 2020 during President Trump's first term by the U.S., Brazil, Uganda, Egypt, Hungary, and Indonesia. It contains provisions restricting access to abortion rights for women and girls and has been signed by more than 35 countries to date.
In June 2022, the U.S. federal Supreme Court overturned the 'Roe v. Wade' ruling, which had recognized abortion rights at the federal level for the past 50 years. As a result, laws that effectively ban or restrict abortion have been implemented in about 20 states. During his first term, President Trump appointed three conservative federal Supreme Court justices, reshaping the federal Supreme Court with a conservative majority, and he boasted that these efforts led to the overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling.
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