Abortion rights advocates prepare for Trump’s second presidency

The people and organizations fighting to protect the right to reproductive health care are rushing to prepare for the second presidency of Donald Trump, a Republican-led U.S. Congress, and a conservative supermajority on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Whether that preparation comes in the form of community organizing or lawsuits challenging anti-abortion policies, organizations and advocates told the Michigan Independent that they were ready to face whatever comes next.

Paula Thornton Greear, the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, told the Michigan Independent via email that her organization understands Trump’s playbook, adding that the president-elect will “attempt to distract and divide,” hoping Michiganders will “look the other way while he attacks our freedoms.”

“But we will not be distracted. Michiganders see the threats ahead and are mobilizing to ensure every person can access the reproductive health care they need and deserve — whether they’re marching in the streets, donating to patient care funds, or volunteering their time with Planned Parenthood,” Greear said.

According to Planned Parenthood of Michigan, in the days following the Nov. 5, 2024, election, PPMI health centers saw a significant spike in appointments for long-acting reversible contraception such as intrauterine devices compared to the same period the previous year. Many of these patients cited the recent election results as a reason for choosing this birth control.

In response to looming threats to reproductive health care access, PPMI launched a new Patient Care Fund to offset the cost of patients’ care. The fund has already raised more than half a million dollars.

“Whether it’s decisions on birth control, abortion, or gender-affirming care, Michiganders made it clear that at no point is a president or politician qualified to make decisions that should be made between patients and doctors like me,” Dr. Sarah Wallett, the chief medical operating officer at Planned Parenthood of Michigan, said in an email. “Although we do not know all that lies ahead, Planned Parenthood of Michigan will be here to provide high-quality, compassionate reproductive care to every person who comes through our doors — no matter what.”

Dr. Rob Davidson is an emergency physician who practices in rural western Michigan and serves as the executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, a national advocacy group of doctors committed to expanding health care access. 

Davidson told the Michigan Independent by email that it’s scary to be a physician and be “forced to choose between upholding the oath we made to care for our patients or prosecution.” 

“No matter what happens, we physicians will continue to be fierce advocates for our patients. Through the Committee we will make sure our voices and expertise are heard, and mobilize thousands of physicians across the country to protect reproductive care,” Davidson said.

Nancy Northup, the president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement sent to the Michigan Independent that the organization was “ready for this next fight” in Trump’s second term.

“We will vigorously oppose any and all attempts to roll back progress. We will scrutinize every action of the White House and federal agencies, amass the factual and legal record to counter agency actions, and work to stop harmful policies from going into effect,” Northup said. “If they do, we will take them to court. We will vehemently fight any effort to pass a national abortion ban, to stop the provision of medication abortion by mail, to block women from crossing state lines to get care, to dismantle UN [United Nations] protections for reproductive rights and progress made at the national level in countries around the world, and more.”