Presidential round-up

As ballot initiatives are considered across the nation, presidential candidates continue to try to navigate the Post-Roe world

Following a debate that once again didn’t feature former President Donald Trump, the candidates continued to navigate the dangerous waters for Republican candidates that abortion politics now presents to them since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The most formidable part of the Democratic Party is now the reproductive rights movement, gaining the most steam as ballot initiatives are underway in many states with plans for others. Here’s what happened in the race for the Republican nomination. 

• ABC News reported that former President Donald Trump will attend the California Republican Fall convention. So will Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. California moved up its primary date to Super Tuesday. So, its importance as a primary contest has risen as a result. Despite not being competitive in the general election, we will begin to see many campaign stops in California in the coming months. 

• Nikki Haley continued to try to appeal to both antiabortion and abortion rights voters by saying that she didn’t want to demonize abortion or its providers. Haley reiterated that there wasn’t enough congressional support for a 15-week ban, which she argued makes it a moot point. Hypothetically if there were, Haley again said she would support such a bill. 

• Antiabortion activists continued criticizing Donald Trump for his shift away from the antiabortion position in his third presidential run. Abby Johnson, who runs the anti-abortion group And Then There Were None, was featured in Religion News in which she said there could be no compromise on abortion. Johnson also said both sides could support childcare aid and paid maternity leave.