Three years after Dobbs leak, abortion no longer dominates politics

[In It to Win It]

WaPo - Gift Link

Three years after a leak revealed the Supreme Court’s thinking ahead of a decision overturning abortion rights, the issue’s preeminence has faded into the background of an American political landscape transformed by President Donald Trump.

Facing an administration that is dismantling federal agencies and fighting court orders on deportations, Democrats have focused their political fire on other issues. This shift comes after a more than 2½-year run of saturation messaging on threats to reproductive rights that was followed by some big victories but also surprising losses.

Most Democrats still view abortion rights as a cornerstone of party orthodoxy, embraced by the majority of voters, but they also consider it essential for the party to expand beyond that cultural issue — and believe that the first months of Trump’s second term have opened doors to other issues.

The shift in emphasis can already be seen in campaign-style speeches and on television.

During a more than 25-minute speech Wednesday, designed to look like a campaign rally, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) never once mentioned abortion rights or President Donald Trump’s role in nominating key Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.