Both parties are grappling with the abortion issue heading into 2024, with the topic expected to be top-of-mind for voters.
While Democrats believe focusing on abortion will be a winning strategy, they haven’t landed on a consensus for whether they support any restrictions on the procedure, NBC News’ Sahil Kapur, Monica Alba and Ali Vitali report. Some Democrats call for codifying the rules under Roe v. Wade, which protected the federal right to an abortion but allowed states to restrict the procedure after a fetus is viable, which is typically around 24 weeks. Others bristle at that idea, wanting protections to extend beyond Roe, or removing government from the question entirely.
Abortion is also a key dividing line in the Republican presidential primary, with some candidates supporting a federal ban and others saying the issue should be left to the states. Trump appears to be in the latter camp, and the Associated Press reports that his position hasn’t hurt his standing as the GOP frontrunner.
Meanwhile, abortion is also playing out in key 2024 battlegrounds.
In Nevada, abortion rights advocates filed a petition Thursday to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would protect the right to the procedure (Nevada state law does protect the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks), per NBC News’ Natasha Korecki.
And in Wisconsin, Planned Parenthood announced it would resume abortion care services in the state amid a court battle over the state’s 1849 abortion ban.
In other campaign news …
Biden vs. Trump: Biden continues to focus much of his ire on Trump, giving a speech Thursday contrasting “Bidenomics” with “MAGAnomics,” per NBC’s Megan Lebowitz and Peter Alexander.
Biden in the spotlight: Biden is planning to deliver a speech later this month in Arizona focused on threats to democracy, likely one day after the next GOP debate later this month, NBC News’ Peter Alexander, Carol E. Lee and Megan Lebowitz report.
DeSantis’ case: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that Trump’s chances of being elected president if he is convicted of a felony are “close to zero.”
‘Hold the line’: DeSantis also spoke on the phone with House Republicans who are pushing for more spending cuts and threatening to shut down the government if their demands are not met, per Politico. DeSantis’ spokesman Andrew Romeo said DeSantis “is urging congressional Republicans to hold the line.”
Haley in the Hawkeye State: Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is returning to Iowa this weekend, where she’s looking to build on some momentum following the first GOP primary debate, NBC News’ Ali Vitali, Bianca Seward and Greg Hyatt report.
Talkin’ ‘bout my generation: Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off a monthlong tour on Thursday of colleges across eight states as the Biden campaign looks to energize young voters, per NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez, Molly Roecker and Nnamdi Egwuonwu.
I ain’t leaving: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told the New York Times he couldn’t see himself dropping his bid for the GOP presidential nomination “under any circumstances before New Hampshire.”
Don’t call it a comeback: Multiple sources tell the AP that Republican David McCormick, who lost the GOP Senate nomination in Pennsylvania last cycle, is expected to announce another bid next week.
Big money edge: Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has massively out-fundraised Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron ahead of this fall’s gubernatorial showdown, $15 million to $2.8 million, per the Associated Press.
A bridge to sell: Louisiana Democrat Shawn Wilson, the former head of the state Department of Transportation and Development, is up with his first TV ad of the governor’s race, which frames him as a bridge builder and highlights infrastructure investments made during his tenure.
GOP legislature kicks chief election official to the curb: The Wisconsin state Senate voted to fire the head of the state’s Elections Commission, a move that prompted a lawsuit by the state attorney general.
