Trump minimizes abortion policy impact again in rambling press conference

Plus, the Harris-Walz ticket visits UAW members in Michigan, and Gregg Abbott tries to charge the federal government for migrant health care.

At a press conference Thursday, Donald Trump continued to downplay the impact of abortion policy on the 2024 presidential election.

“I think the abortion issue has been very much tempered down, and I've answered, I think, very well in the debate, and it seems to be much less of an issue, especially for those where they have the exceptions, as you know,” Trump said. 

“For 52 years, they wanted to bring abortion back to the states. They wanted to get rid of Roe v. Wade. And that's Democrats, Republicans and independents and everybody,” he concluded.

The former president has attempted to walk a precarious tightrope on the matter of abortion: He is certainly aware that voters dramatically prefer the Democratic Party’s stance. And, furthermore, that the GOP’s anti-abortion stance is its most alienating position. That’s why Trump has stressed his so-called accomplishment regarding the overturning of Roe — which resulted in 22 states either banning or severely restricting abortion — while avoiding endorsing the incredibly unpopular prospect of a national abortion ban. 

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), has also limited his discussion of the issue since accepting the vice-presidential nomination, despite having called for a national abortion ban in the past. 

At the same Thursday press conference, Trump also demonstrated little understanding of the abortion drug mifepristone — which is now responsible for 63% of all abortions in the United States — and efforts by his Republican colleagues to restrict its use. A case brought before the Supreme Court by an anti-abortion group failed to suspend the FDA approval of the drug. 

When asked if he would use executive power and direct the FDA to revoke access to the drug, Trump offered only an incoherent word salad. 

“You could do things that will be — would supplement absolutely, and those things are pretty open and humane, but you have to be able to have a vote. And all I want to do is give everybody a vote, and the votes are taking place right now as we speak,” Trump said. 

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were in Wayne, Mich. to speak with rank-and-file members of the United Auto Workers (UAW), one of the country’s largest unions. The pair were flanked by UAW President Shawn Fain, a labor leader who has become increasingly popular for his militant pro-labor messaging and actions. Last fall, the Fain-led UAW engaged in an effective strike against the three major American auto manufacturers.  

Harris and Walz have been stressing their support for labor rights to shore up working-class support for their campaign. 

“And, look, even if you’re not a member of a union, you better thank unions for that five-day workweek. You better thank unions for that eight-hour workday. You better thank unions for that vacation time. So I’m here to say thank you,” Harris said at the meeting. 

“Thank you to the sisters and brothers of UAW for all you are and all we will do over these next 89 days.”

In the Lone Star State, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott (R) signed an executive order that would require hospitals to gather and report the financial cost of treating a patient who is undocumented. The order is meant to quantify the supposed burden that undocumented migrants place on public hospitals and emergency rooms in the state. The state will then attempt to get federal reimbursement for treating undocumented migrants.

“Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ open border policies, Texas has had to foot the bill for medical costs for individuals illegally in the state,” Abbott said in a press release.

“That is why today I issued an Executive Order requiring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect and report healthcare costs for illegal immigrants in our state. Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies.”

It is unclear how the order will be enforced and whether hospitals will comply with Abbott’s demands. Civil rights groups in the state immediately responded to the governor’s decision. 

“Once again, Gov. Abbott is using immigrants as scapegoats for his failed policies and political frustrations, painting a one-sided picture of the realities happening at the border and in the state of Texas,” Fernando Garcia, the executive director of the Border Network for Human Rights, said in his statement.

“Today, we remind Gov. Abbott that his cruel, inhumane, costly, and unconstitutional border enforcement operations has wasted over $11 billion of taxpayer money in harming asylum seekers, many of whom include children, women, and entire families,” Garcia concluded. 

GOP official with multiple sexual misconduct allegations joined JD Vance’s Michigan presser

By Richard Eberwein

During a press conference in Michigan on Wednesday, Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance spoke with Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, a former Republican state representative with numerous sexual harassment claims filed against him.

The press conference was held in front of the Shelby Township Police Headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, and it was focused on public safety. Lucido and Vance shared the stage together.

“Macomb County residents and businesses must rely on law enforcement to keep them safe and free from harm by others,” Lucido said. “As the Macomb County prosecutor, I am committed to bringing wrongdoers to justice.”

After Lucido’s words, the Ohio senator returned to the podium and said, “Look these guys are doing a good job.”

Throughout his career, Lucido has been accused of sexual harassment, offensive comments and inappropriate touching from female colleagues and coworkers. In 2020, while Lucido was a state senator, he told reporter Allison Donahue that she should “stick around” because he knew a group of teenage boys who could “have a lot of fun with you.” The incident prompted bipartisan calls for an investigation and an apology from Lucido that he later retracted on the claim that he was misquoted.

In January 2020, Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) filed a sexual harassment complaint against Lucido stemming from an incident in 2018 where Lucido allegedly grabbed her lower back and grazed her hip with his fingers when they first met. The incident happened on the same day Lucido spoke at a sexual harassment orientation, saying that the culture is “just the way it is.”

In the same month, Lucido received a third sexual harassment complaint, this time for inappropriately touching, staring and commenting about a woman’s appearance for an extended period of time. A Senate investigation into these three allegations found them credible enough for Lucido to be stripped of his chairmanship of the Advice and Consent Committee and asked to repeat sexual harassment training.

However, Lucido was still allowed to chair the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. A liberal political group called Progress for Michigan criticized the punishment for not going far enough, and a spokesperson said, “Any decent workplace would fire someone for showing a pattern of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.” Lucido continued to maintain that he did not do anything wrong after the investigation.

This pattern continued after Lucido was elected the prosecutor of Macomb County in November 2020. Sexual harassment claims were brought forward by a judge and at least one employee from Lucido’s office. An investigation into the prosecutor’s office resulted in nine people corroborating “brutal” and “rude” remarks made by Lucido to female employees, with one claiming that Lucido was “boisterous when speaking to male employees, but that he treats female administrative staff much worse.”

In addition to sexist remarks, Lucido also reportedly stated that he wanted to assign a Black prosecuting attorney for the “Shelby Five” case so “those people” could not complain that he was being unfair.