Donald Trump’s Cynical Abortion Feint Carries Important Lessons
It can only work if the media fails, which is why he’s taking it for a spin
Late last week, Donald Trump and/or his surrogates used the New York Times political desk to launch a trial balloon: When the primary is over—but only then—he’ll run a general-election campaign on a plan to ban abortion after 16 weeks gestation.
For today’s purposes I’ll assume nobody reading needs me to explain why Trump’s word is worthless, whether it’s direct from him or laundered through anonymous sources. I’ll also assume everyone knows that his administration, like any Republican administration, will teem with anti-abortion zealots who’ll erect obstacles to abortion wherever they can. They’ll likewise make no effort to prevent red-state policies, like the Alabama supreme court’s effective criminalization of IVF, from spreading to other states, or being imposed by the Supreme Court on the entire nation.
All of that stuff should go without saying.
Nevertheless, the whole sordid exercise, and the way the political system reacted to it, provide some insights worth pondering, if you share the goals of a more robust liberalism and defeating Donald Trump.