U.S. Supreme Court Decision Could Impact Presidential Election: Report
Legal experts consulted by Newsweek suggest that the U.S. Supreme Court appointments made by former President Donald Trump could ultimately jeopardize his election prospects.
While Trump was already campaigning in what was expected to be a closely contested election, Newsweek reported that his chances for a second term might be at risk. This is partly due to Vice President Kamala Harris leading the Democratic ticket and the implementation of the Dobbs decision.
Trump’s nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court solidified its conservative supermajority. This group of six conservative justices was responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade with their 2022 Dobbs decision.
Newsweek noted, “The rollback on reproductive rights triggered a nationwide outcry immediately following the Supreme Court ruling. However, it was over the subsequent two years that voters demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the court’s conservative justices. At the ballot box, voters, even in deeply Republican states, decisively opposed amendments challenging the right to an abortion, while strongly supporting those enshrining that right into law. In November, it will be Trump’s turn to face these displeased voters.”
Lanae Erickson, senior vice president for social policy, education, and politics at Third Way, shared with Newsweek that in a close race, any issue could tip the scales. Yet, she implied that the Dobbs decision might play a particularly crucial role.
“Every single time abortion rights have been on the ballot since Dobbs, voters have supported reproductive freedom, and Democrats have exceeded expectations,” Erickson stated, although she acknowledged that other factors—such as discontent with Trump or lack of enthusiasm for GOP candidates—might have also influenced voters.
Political analyst Steve Schier told the outlet, “The key areas where abortion will resonate with these [educated female] voters are the affluent suburbs of major cities in swing states—suburban Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Milwaukee and Madison, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.”
Schier also indicated that abortion-related issues might benefit Harris more in urban swing states. According to the 2020 Census, these states include Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
Strategist Jay Townsend mentioned that if Harris prevails in November, “reproductive freedom will be one of the reasons [why.]”
“The only way pro-choice voters achieve their goals is by voting for Harris. And most of them correctly believe that Trump took that right away with his Supreme Court appointments,” Townsend explained. “Pro-choice voters also outnumber fervent pro-life voters. The numbers work in Harris’s favor, not Trump’s.”
“Trump handed Harris a gift during his first term. It would be unwise for her to waste it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Harris and Democrats have repeated inaccurate claims about Trump’s stance on the issue. Trump has consistently stated that he opposes a national abortion ban, arguing that the Supreme Court made the right decision by returning the matter to the states, as it was before the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. He has also expressed support for a 15-week abortion limit, which aligns with the views of most Americans, according to polls.
Nevertheless, the economy and personal finances remain much more significant concerns for the majority of Americans under the Biden-Harris administration, according to various surveys.
Nearly 40% of Americans worry about being able to pay all their bills on time, a higher percentage than during the Great Recession of 2008-09, according to a recent survey.
A CNN poll revealed that 39% of Americans are concerned about consistently paying their bills, a 33% increase from the height of Bidenflation and surpassing the 37% figure from the 2008 crisis when unemployment neared 10%, the outlet reported, citing the poll results.
Inflation under the Biden-Harris administration has reached unprecedented levels in the modern era. While it has eased somewhat in recent months, it remains stubbornly high, driving up the costs of food, gasoline, housing, and other essentials like utilities. CNN reported that “consumers are still trying to catch up to the price spikes of the last few years.”