, Columnist
Mifepristone Ruling Sends a Message About Abortion Politics
The Supreme Court’s narrow, procedural ruling is a scolding for the judges who let the flimsy case get this far.
Watching for smoke signals
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesOn Thursday, the US Supreme Court unanimously rejected lower courts’ outrageous attempts to block access to the abortion medication mifepristone. But it wasn’t because the conservative justices reconsidered the views that led them to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Instead, the ruling tells us mostly that, in a presidential election year, with the Dobbs decision behind them, the justices didn’t want to issue a decision that could have caused a national uproar by further limiting abortion access. It may also be a subtle signal to conservative judges in lower courts.