Republican vice-presidential pick JD Vance is causing concern due to his staunch anti-abortion views, which include a nationwide ban. Florence Blondel investigates the US Senator’s previous comments on the issue of reproductive rights. 

JD Vance, the new Republican vice-presidential candidate, favours strict abortion restrictions and opposes exceptions for rape and incest, considering pregnancies resulting from such circumstances as “inconvenient” rather than grounds for abortion. Vance has defended laws like the Texas abortion ban, which severely limits access to the procedure​. 

Vance views the protection of unborn children as a moral imperative, arguing against abortion rights even when it contradicts popular opinion or legislative outcomes. Recently, he criticised Ohio voters for enshrining abortion protections in their state constitution. Writing on X (formerly Twitter) the day after Ohio voted to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution, he said:  

“Giving up on the unborn is not an option. It’s politically dumb and morally repugnant.” 

JD Vance, X (Twitter) on 8 November 2023

A radical stance

This week, Vance was picked as the vice-presidential candidate during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. While Donald Trump has been bold in challenging women’s rights, Vance is perceived by many as even more extreme.

The possibility of a second Trump presidency looms large. In his first term, Trump played a significant role in paving the way for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Since the landmark decision was reversed on 24 June 2022, fourteen states have implemented total abortion bans, resulting in harrowing experiences for many women. 

After JD Vance was announced on the Republican ticket, Trump’s niece, Mary Trump said this on her substack: 

“American women will know misery if by some great tragedy Donald and Vance get into the White House because those two will make The Handmaid’s Tale our reality.” 

Mary Trump, Substack, 17 July 2024

“UNDER HIS EYE” 

We think the combination of Trump and Vance poses a significant threat to reproductive rights in the US, particularly for young girls and women. Both men have judges sympathetic to them and conservative allies already interfering in women’s bodily autonomy at the state level. Vance also voted against protections for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in June 2024 and, according to vice-president Kamala Harris, contraception could be next. 

THE NEED FOR VIGILANCE AND ADVOCACY  

We believe campaigners for women’s rights should be concerned about Vance’s views because they reflect a broader movement to limit reproductive rights, undermining access to safe and legal abortions. His advocacy for scant abortion exceptions could endanger the health and autonomy of women, particularly those in vulnerable situations.

Furthermore, his position on contraception and reproductive rights aligns with a broader pronatalism agenda that may limit access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare​. We have been there with Trump, remember the Global Gag Rule? 

Many motivations are driving the opposition to abortion rights in certain countries, including the desire to boost birth rates. In the United States, various anti-abortion groups and political figures have voiced concerns over declining populations and have criticised the argument for a sustainable population. For more on reproductive rights violations – and the motivations fueling them – see our report, Welcome to Gilead. 

Our stance

Population Matters is emphatically pro-choice, and we believe it is critical to keep watching the situation in the US – and other countries where there is a threat to reproductive rights. Please also follow and support the excellent organisations fighting to protect those rights, such as Planned Parenthood and the Center for Reproductive Rights.