Jessica Valenti, a prominent feminist writer, has raised alarms about the potential for a national abortion crisis if former President Donald Trump returns to the White House. Valenti, known for her Substack newsletter “Abortion, Every Day,” which tracks the impact of the United States Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn long-standing abortion rights, warns that a Trump victory could lead to severe restrictions on reproductive rights.
In an interview with AFP ahead of her latest book, “Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win,” Valenti stressed the high stakes of the upcoming presidential election. She argued that if Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running as the Democratic candidate, loses, the US might face a national abortion ban. Valenti believes this could happen even without formal legislation from Congress. “If Harris loses, we’re absolutely looking at a national abortion ban, even if it’s not a formal one through Congress,” she said from her Brooklyn home.
Valenti expressed concern that one of Trump’s first moves could be to replace the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and restrict access to abortion pills by revoking rules that currently allow them to be mailed. She warned that conservative legal scholars might push a future administration to interpret a 19th-century obscenity law to block access to all abortion-related supplies, effectively ending the procedure nationwide, even in states where it remains legal.
Reflecting on the past, Valenti recalled when feminists who warned about the potential fall of Roe v. Wade were dismissed as alarmist. “We’re being told again that it’s never going to happen,” she said. “The same pundits refuse to acknowledge we’ll probably be correct again.”
Since the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, including three Trump appointees, overturned Roe v. Wade, 22 states have banned or severely restricted abortion. While some states allow exceptions for rape or to save a woman’s life, these exceptions have proven inadequate, forcing some women to cross state lines for lifesaving care. Valenti argues that these exceptions were designed to make the bans appear less harsh while still keeping abortion nearly unobtainable.
Valenti’s latest book comes amid reports, such as those from ProPublica, highlighting the tragic consequences of restrictive abortion laws. In Georgia, the deaths of two Black women might have been avoided if not for the state’s criminalization of the dilation and curettage (D&C) procedures commonly used in abortions. “It’s impossible for them to credibly claim this is about saving lives and being ‘pro-life,'” Valenti said.
Valenti views the anti-abortion movement as part of a broader agenda driven by misogynist, White Christian supremacist ideologies aiming to roll back decades of progress. For her, reproductive autonomy is deeply personal. She recounted ending her first pregnancy three months before meeting her husband, with whom she later had a daughter. Complications during a subsequent pregnancy forced her to terminate to avoid a fatal illness, underscoring the critical importance of reproductive choice.
While media often focus on “horror stories” of women losing fertility or their lives due to abortion bans, Valenti emphasizes that “every abortion denied is a tragedy.” She argues that the right to choose is essential to one’s freedom over their body, life, and future.
Strategically, Valenti urges Democrats to move beyond advocating that abortion be “safe, legal and rare,” and instead focus on strengthening legal protections. She noted that public support for abortion rights is at an all-time high, with broad bipartisan backing for keeping government out of the issue. “We’re in a moment where abortion is more popular than ever,” she said, citing polling that shows strong support for reproductive rights across political lines.
Valenti expressed hope with Harris, a pro-choice advocate, leading the Democratic ticket, feeling more optimistic than when Joe Biden, whose stance was more cautious, was running. However, she remains wary of Trump’s strategic positioning on abortion, noting his attempts to appear more moderate. “I’m still concerned,” Valenti concluded.
