US author warns of potential abortion crisis if Trump reclaims White House

Feminist writer Jessica Valenti’s Substack newsletter, *"Abortion, Every Day,"* started as a personal project to document the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn abortion rights. Today, it has grown into a daily chronicle of American women’s ongoing struggle for reproductive freedom.

In an interview with AFP ahead of her new book, *"Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win,"* the 45-year-old New Yorker urged progressives to take a more aggressive stance. She highlighted the high stakes as the next election approaches, warning that if Kamala Harris loses, the U.S. could face a de facto national abortion ban. Valenti expressed concern that a Trump administration could replace the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and limit access to abortion pills, potentially revoking the current rules that allow them to be mailed.

Valenti also noted that some conservative legal scholars have proposed using a 19th-century obscenity law to block access to all abortion-related supplies, not just pills, effectively ending abortion nationwide—even in states where it is still legal.

Recalling when feminists who warned about Roe v. Wade being overturned were dismissed as alarmist, Valenti pointed out that similar dismissals are happening now, even though 22 states have already banned or severely restricted abortion since the Supreme Court's conservative majority, including three Trump appointees, ruled to overturn the landmark decision. 

While some states provide exceptions for rape or when a woman’s life is in danger, Valenti argues that these provisions are often inadequate, forcing many women to seek care across state lines. She believes these exceptions were crafted to make the bans seem less extreme, while still making abortion nearly inaccessible.

Her new book arrives as ProPublica reported the deaths of two Black women in Georgia, which may have been avoided if not for the state’s criminalization of certain procedures commonly used in abortions. Valenti is critical of the anti-abortion movement, arguing it is a misogynistic, White Christian supremacist effort to push the country backward.

Valenti’s views on reproductive autonomy are not just political but personal. She terminated her first pregnancy before meeting her husband and later had a daughter. When complications in a subsequent pregnancy put her at a 50% risk of developing a fatal illness, she chose to terminate to ensure she would be there for her child. 

While media attention often focuses on tragic cases of women losing their lives or fertility due to abortion bans, Valenti emphasizes that "every abortion denied is a tragedy." Whether a person doesn’t want to be pregnant or faces life-threatening complications, Valenti believes bodily autonomy is essential to freedom and future planning.

Valenti also urges Democrats to abandon the outdated "safe, legal, and rare" rhetoric and instead push for stronger legal protections for abortion rights. She points out that abortion is more popular now than ever, with polling showing bipartisan support for keeping the government out of the issue. She cites multiple elections, from midterms to ballot initiatives, where abortion rights have prevailed over the past two years.

Although Valenti is more optimistic with Kamala Harris, a pro-choice advocate, leading the Democratic ticket, she remains cautious about Donald Trump's strategy. Trump has tried to appear more moderate on abortion, muddying his position, but Valenti remains concerned about his potential impact on abortion access.