Donald Trump’s plan for a 16-week, national abortion ban wasn’t supposed to be public. Democrats are ready to pounce
LATE LAST WEEK, the New York Times reported that Donald Trump privately told his allies he backs a 16-week national abortion ban with some exceptions. Inside the Trump campaign, the news was immediately met with deep annoyance, anger, and a scramble for damage control, two people familiar with the matter tell Rolling Stone.
Prior to the report, the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner had repeatedly stressed to advisers that he wants to avoid announcing specific abortion policy positions, at least during this stage of the election cycle, sources close to him say. This is, of course, largely because he understands the dismantling of Roe v. Wade — which he engineered — has become a grave political liability for Republicans.
Members of Trump’s senior staff were maddened by the leak to the Times, venting to one another that whoever blabbed to the media about this wasn’t being helpful, the two sources recount. They weren’t the only ones upset by it: The report also served to inflame some of the anti-abortion movement’s most uncompromising figures, who lashed out at Trump for being insufficiently “pro-life.” Some Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill winced at the news too; they, like Trump, hoped to spend the first half of 2024 talking about abortion as little as possible, according to one GOP lawmaker who bemoaned the recent string of conservatives’ election losses that have largely been attributed to “the Dobbs effect.” Democrats, on the other hand, were thrilled.
A national abortion ban will bring people out protesting that have never protested before. Would probably also mean states ignoring federal law. Would lead to a lot of chaos honestly, never thought abortion ban could be the trigger for a civil war, but it might. Scary stuff.
I agree with national unrest and protests, but imo a civil war would be over before it began. America as a country hasn’t been pumping billions into the industrial war complex for no reason; anyone on the other side of the people who control the military are fucked.
That’s how it generally goes. But in a civil war, the loyalties of the military are often divided as well.
fair point tbh, but I’ve seen (from my personal experience) the military and it’s leaders are mostly conservative. idk much about civil wars and how they begin though; I’d assume we need people in strong political positions to lead a concerted opposition, no? otherwise it’s less civil war and more rebellion/revolution?
The very last poll that Star & Stripes published before Trump shuttered it (due to that poll) showed that 1/2 of the enlisted & most of the officers didn’t like Trump at all.
My experience is hardly exhaustive, but I’ve known a lot of military folks who hate Trump. I couldn’t say what their political leanings are (certainly not far left, you know?), but I think even among conservative soldiers and particularly among the leadership, you’d find people unwilling to go along with Trump.
That being said, I sure as fuck don’t want to find out.
Yeah, same. I don’t really want to find how such a scenario would play out, but we are very much approaching such a situation. It really sucks that there are external actors that are trying to stoke the flames of this, but it’s our own doing really. We didn’t deal with this shit back during the first Civil war, and now we’re dealing with the consequences. I don’t know that I’d stay in the country if a civil war erupted, but you bet your ass I’d be out there picketing for the first time in my life if a national abortion ban went into effect.
I feel like there will be “support” for a civil war until those people actually experience it. They imagine a bunch of other people will do the fighting and they get to sit back as only the “other side” will suffer. Once they start realizing the consequences, support will quickly wane.
Only people low in the intelligence department think a civil war won’t affect them at all.
Approx 1/3 of the populace is absolutely paste-eating stupid.
Yeah, I figured that out when we couldn’t wear a piece of fabric over our face during covid bcz mUy FrEedum…
I mean maybe, the military isn’t one big uniform blob of people. I know plenty of liberal folks who’ve been a part of the military, and plenty of conservative people. It wouldn’t be fun for anyone.
I really wish we would just live by the motto live and let live. Just fucking leave people alone, how hard is that? Apparently very…
I also think current service members are significantly more progressive than veterans. I got out shortly before dip shit took office in 2016 so I’m not sure how much has changed though.
The officer force is definitely more progressive and generally better informed. One of the worst parts of living next to a military base is the maga conservative bullshit from retirees, vets, and the enlisted workforce. I have a high confidence in our uniformed officers. That’s not to say they don’t have their own crazies but as a general rule I don’t see the officers toeing the line to support bringing up arms against their friends, family, and communities who are protesting their rights being stripped away. It would be a mess in so many unpredictable ways.
You’re vastly overestimating the US military’s ability to deal with an insurgency. Did we quickly “win” in Iraq? Did we quickly “win” in Afghanistan? There may be some quick quelling of fighting, but we’ve proven to be terrible at managing insurgencies.
And there’s the matter of just how many guns are present in the US. We have more guns than people. Over 400 million guns and growing. There are times where a lone gunman in Afghanistan was able to occupy an outpost for hours just by taking a few shots, moving position, taking a couple more shots, and then leaving.
Any civil war will be long, messy, and involve a LOT of different factions.
All according to the plan then? You guys going in civil war would be perfect for other interests…