How will top court ruling on abortion pills affect US presidential election?

The US Supreme Court unanimously preserved access to mifepristone, a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the country last year. The court ruled that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the federal Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, and the agency's subsequent actions to ease access to it. This is the court's first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.

The case threatened to restrict access to mifepristone across the country, including in states where abortion remains legal. Abortion is banned at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, and after about six weeks of pregnancy in three others, often before women realize they're pregnant.

According to a KFF poll conducted in February, about two-thirds of US adults oppose banning the use of mifepristone, or medication abortion, nationwide.

Impact on US presidential elections:

Abortion rights is a key issue in this year's presidential elections, with stark divergence of views between the Democrats and the Republicans. Democrats said the Supreme Court made the right call on abortion medication, but warned that the ruling wouldn't end GOP threats to abortion rights.

As anti-abortion groups quickly released statements expressing dismay over Thursday’s ruling, Republican lawmakers were largely quiet, marking a stark contrast to the flood of Democrats praising the ruling. Donald Trump, the presumed Republican presidential candidate, has previously said he would announce a position on medication abortion but hasn't done so yet. He said in April that abortion should be left up to states.

While praising the decision, President Joe Biden signalled Democrats will continue to campaign heavily on abortion ahead of the November elections.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, expressed disappointment with the ruling, but trained her fire on Democrats.

The top court's ruling sidesteps immediate seismic political effects, but the issue will still be centre stage this election year. Abortion will be directly on the ballot in at least four states where voters are being asked to approve constitutional amendments that would assure abortion access. Similar measures could be before voters in several other states too.

(With AP inputs)

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