The Big Story 

President Trump has gradually worn away at abortion access in the first 100 days of his second term. 

© Greg Nash

Trump committed to leaving decisions on abortion access up to states during his campaign and has not tried to outlaw the procedure nationally. But his administration has supported anti-abortion activists and tried to cut access to abortion in the U.S. and around the world.  

Here are four ways the Trump administration has chipped away at abortion access so far:  

Pardoned anti-abortion activists 

• Trump signed an executive order pardoning 23 anti-abortion activists ahead of a March for Life protest in Washington, D.C. Some of those pardoned included activists convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrance (FACE) Act.  
  
  
• The FACE Act is a federal law meant to protect abortion clinics from obstruction and threats and was passed in the mid-1990s when crimes against abortion providers were rising.  

Reinstated the Mexico City policy 

• Trump reinstated a controversial policy, called the Mexico City policy, in January that prevents U.S. foreign aid recipients from discussing abortion with their patients or providing referrals for the procedure. The policy has a long history of being rescinded by Democratic presidents and being reinstated by Republican presidents.  
  
  
• Supports of the policy claim in prevents U.S. taxpayer dollars from being spent on abortion abroad while opponents argue it reduces access to critical health care and that there is legislation already in place that stops taxpayer money from being used on abortions overseas.  

Pulled Title X funding 

• The Trump administration froze millions of dollars in federal funds meant to provide affordable birth control and reproductive health services earlier this year.  
  
  
• On April 1, more than a dozen reproductive health organizations received notices that their funding under the Title X program was being rescinded. Title X is the country’s only federal program aimed at providing affordable contraception and reproductive health care to low-income Americans.  
  
  
• The first Trump administration similarly withheld Title X fundings by issuing a rule that barred reproductive health care clinics from entering the program if they spoke about abortion or referred patients out for the procedure.  

Dropped high-profile Idaho abortion case 

• Last month, the Trump administration dropped a lawsuit filed by the Biden-era Justice Department seeking to protect access to an emergency abortion in Idaho, where abortion is severely restricted.  
  
  
• A “trigger ban” went into effect in Idaho after the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade that made performing or assisting in an abortion a crime punishable by five years in prison.
  
  
• The Biden-era lawsuit argued the state ban made it impossible for doctors in the state to provide abortions when needed to save the life of the mother violating a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.  

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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