Trump touts overturning of Roe in remarks to Christian conservative group

Former President Trump on Saturday touted the “amazing” accomplishment of ending Roe v. Wade ahead of the second anniversary of the decision, digging in on his assertion that states should decide individually whether to allow abortion.

Trump spoke to the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference, a gathering of religious conservatives in Washington, D.C., two days before the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe.

“I want to thank the six Supreme Court justices — Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett — for the wisdom and the courage they showed on this long-term, very contentious issue. This has been a long time it’s been fought,” Trump said to applause from the crowd.

“We did something that was amazing,” Trump added. “The big problem was it was caught up in the federal government, but the people will decide, and that’s the way it should be. The people are now deciding. Some states are a little bit more conservative, and some states are much more liberal.”

Reproductive rights have been front and center politically in the two years since the conservative Supreme Court majority ended Roe v. Wade, with some states enshrining abortion rights and others enacting restrictive laws that effectively ban the procedure.

On the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly taken credit for ending Roe v. Wade through his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices. But he has also declined to take a position on a federal limit for abortion, instead saying it should be left up to individual states to decide through legislation or referendum how to handle the procedure.

Trump has also argued Republicans must take into account the political ramifications of their messaging on abortion, emphasizing that the party has to win elections first and foremost.

Democrats have repeatedly tied Trump to the restrictive abortion policies enacted in Texas, Florida and other conservative states, highlighting stories of women who have been unable to get proper health care as a result.

The Biden campaign has sought to draw a clear contrast between Trump’s record on abortion and that of the Biden White House, which has taken steps to try to protect access to the procedure and abortion medication following the end of Roe.

Vice President Harris is scheduled to deliver remarks Monday in Maryland and Arizona to mark the second anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Trump’s incoherent, unhinged tirade showed voters in his own words that he is a threat to our freedoms and is too dangerous to be let anywhere near the White House again,” Biden campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement on Saturday. “The American people can and will stop him by reelecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this November.”

Updated at 5:23 p.m. EDT