Trump Alienates His Base With Flip Flopping On Reproductive Rights

Sep 6, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris kicks off a reproductive freedom bus tour through swing states, highlighting the stakes of abortion rights in the upcoming election. Shefali Luthra discusses how Trump's fluctuating stance on reproductive healthcare displeases his conservative base and alienates voters. Meanwhile, Jane Coaston examines Arizona's political shift from John McCain’s party to a hub of election denialism. The conversation digs deep into the implications of these dynamics for both Trump and the Republican Party as they prepare for pivotal elections.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Trump's Reproductive Rights Debate

01:48 • 13min

Key Ballot Issues Facing Arizona This Fall

15:02 • 2min

Ads and Tragedy: A Stark Contrast

16:51 • 4min

Legal Turmoil and Tennis Triumphs

20:41 • 4min

Celebrating Paralympics and Player Announcements

24:22 • 4min

Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign kicked off a weeks-long reproductive freedom bus tour this week, with a 50-stop route that runs through some of the biggest swing states in the upcoming election. It's an issue that plays to Harris' strengths — and former President Donald Trump's biggest weaknesses. While Trump loves to take credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices that ultimately helped overturn Roe v. Wade, he's spent the years since trying to moderate his stance on abortion and reproductive healthcare, angering members of his socially conservative base in the process. Shefali Luthra, who covers reproductive care for The 19th, explains how Trump's muddled stance has angered both sides of the abortion debate.

In Arizona, Republican Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance got an icy reaction when he told a crowd Thursday, "It's very simple, we lost Arizona" in 2020. Election denialism has become a feature of the Republican Party since Trump became its leader, trickling down through the ranks of many state GOP parties, including Arizona's. Jane Coaston, former politics reporter for Vox, a contributor to The New York Times opinion section — and WAD's newest host — examines how Arizona politics went from the party of John McCain to the epicenter of election denialism.

And in headlines: Georgia police arrested and charged the father of the suspect in Wednesday's fatal shooting at Apalachee High School, Trump pleaded not guilty to the revised criminal charges in his election interference case, and President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine charges related to federal tax evasion and fraud.

Show Notes:

Check out Shefali's reporting – https://19thnews.org/author/shefali-luthra/
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