New Hampshire leaders condemn Trump’s support for national abortion ban

Political leaders in New Hampshire swiftly denounced former President Donald Trump’s reported support for a 16-week national abortion ban, highlighting the issue’s significance in both the presidential and gubernatorial races.

Trump’s support for a ban was first reported in a New York Times article published Friday, which noted Trump would include exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother in a nationwide ban..

Senator Jeanne Shaheen directly targeted Republicans’ focus on controlling women’s bodies. “Overturning Roe was always about Republicans’ obsession with controlling women’s bodies,” she asserted. “Now, Donald Trump and his GOP want a national abortion ban to guarantee that every woman across our country, regardless of where she lives, will lose autonomy over her body.”

Senator Maggie Hassan voiced disapproval via social media, highlighting Trump’s past boasts about overturning Roe v. Wade and warning of his intentions to enact an abortion ban if reelected. She stressed the high stakes of the 2024 election for protecting reproductive freedoms.

Rep. Annie Kuster issued a strongly worded statement condemning Trump’s anti-choice agenda. Kuster declared: “Donald Trump has taken credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, and now he wants to take his extreme anti-woman agenda even further.” 

She asserted that reproductive healthcare decisions belong between a woman and her healthcare provider.

Kuster warned of the dangers of nationwide restrictions, citing state-level abortion bans causing medical emergencies. She concluded by stressing the urgency of reelecting President Biden and Vice President Harris to shield reproductive freedoms.

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Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig underscored the impact of Trump’s stance on New Hampshire’s governor’s race. 

“This is exactly why New Hampshire needs a governor who will protect access to abortion and reproductive freedom,” Craig stated. “Kelly Ayotte and Donald Trump support extreme national abortion bans and will strip Granite Staters of their rights if given the chance. I’ve always stood up for our reproductive rights, and I will not allow restrictive abortion bans to become law when I am governor.”

Executive Councilor and fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington also slammed Trump’s stance and its implications for the New Hampshire gubernatorial race. 

“Donald Trump and Kelly Ayotte are too dangerous for the people of New Hampshire… If Kelly Ayotte or Chuck Morse are elected governor, they will follow Donald Trump’s orders and further roll back abortion access, endangering Granite Staters and restricting their reproductive freedom,” Warmington said.

Kelly Ayotte campaign spokesman John Corbett accused Democrats of “lying and misleading voters”.

“Kelly has repeatedly stated that she supports and will not change New Hampshire’s current law, which protects women’s freedom to obtain an abortion for any reason up until six months into their pregnancy.”

The campaign did not comment on whether Ayotte would support a federal abortion ban under a future Trump administration. In the past, Ayotte has said she supported the overturning of Roe, voted for a 20 week abortion ban in 2015 while in the Senate, and voted four times to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood.

The Chuck Morse campaign did not immediately respond for comment.

The strong backlash suggests potential vulnerabilities for Trump’s campaign in New Hampshire, where 64% of voters said they would “prefer a governor who supports protecting abortion rights.” These statements emphasize the likely prominence of abortion rights as a pivotal issue in both the 2024 presidential elections and New Hampshire’s gubernatorial race.