CNN’s Margaret Hoover recently offered a bold prediction regarding the political landscape in Arizona, suggesting that the state’s strict abortion laws could significantly impact former President Donald Trump’s chances of winning the state in the upcoming election. This assertion follows a ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court that reinstated a nearly total abortion ban based on a law dating back 160 years, before Arizona achieved statehood. The law criminalizes the provision of abortions with very limited exceptions, a move that has sparked considerable debate and controversy.
The controversy surrounding abortion rights in Arizona comes at a time when public opinion seems to be shifting. A Wall Street Journal poll conducted before the Supreme Court’s decision revealed that a majority of Arizona voters preferred President Joe Biden’s stance on abortion over Trump’s. This sentiment is underscored by Hoover’s comments on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront,” where she argued that the ruling is likely to alienate even Republican voters in the state, thereby affecting the presidential election’s outcome. She firmly stated, “There is no way Donald Trump is going to carry this state.”
The significance of Arizona as a battleground state cannot be overstated. Biden narrowly secured Arizona in the 2020 election, and a Fox News poll from early March indicated Trump leading Biden by four points. However, Hoover, who is closely tied to the political scene through her marriage to Democratic congressional candidate and former CNN senior political analyst John Avlon, believes that Trump’s position on allowing states to decide their abortion laws could prove detrimental to his campaign in Arizona, especially in light of the state’s harsh stance on the issue.
Trump, for his part, has maintained that abortion rights should be determined at the state level, through votes or legislation, asserting that “at the end of the day it is all about the will of the people.” His stance, however, has not been without its critics, even within the pro-life community, some of whom see his position as a concession to Democrats.
With the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the national conversation on abortion rights has intensified. A recent Fox News poll indicates that a record number of voters now believe abortion should be legal in most cases, suggesting a surge in support for abortion rights since the landmark decision was reversed. As the political debate around this issue continues, the implications for the presidential race, particularly in key battleground states like Arizona, remain a focal point of discussion.