In a private call with religious leaders last week, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signaled that the Trump administration is preparing to curb abortion access even in states where the procedure remains legally protected. The remarks, posted online by the group Intercessors for America and first reported by Politico, go well beyond Blanche's earlier public statements and suggest a more aggressive federal push against abortion rights.
Blanche, speaking on a call hosted by the White House Faith Office, acknowledged that efforts to dismantle the Biden administration's abortion-related policies have been slower than desired. But he assured participants that the Justice Department is "working hand-in-hand" with federal health agencies and the White House "to get permanent solutions so the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state."
The 2022 Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the federal constitutional right to abortion and leaving the issue to individual states. Since then, abortion rates have actually climbed, driven largely by expanded access to medication abortion through telehealth and mail-order pharmacies, as well as so-called "shield laws" in Democratic-led states that protect clinicians from out-of-state prosecution.
Blanche hinted that the administration is preparing to crack down on the mailing of abortion pills, a practice that has become a lifeline for women in states with strict bans. "If states have said, 'We are going to protect the unborn and we're going to protect every life from the moment of conception,' we're putting practices and policies in place so that other states and other organizations can't attack that," he said. "They can't do things like they're doing with mailing in mail-order drugs."
The acting attorney general did not specify whether the administration would invoke the Comstock Act, a dormant 1873 anti-obscenity law that conservatives have long sought to use to ban the shipment of abortion-related materials through the mail. The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Blanche's comments on the call were notably more expansive than his testimony during his confirmation hearing, where he committed to reviewing the Biden-era policy that allowed mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and mailed to patients. He told senators he opposed that policy but stopped short of detailing specific actions.
To the faith leaders, Blanche struck a triumphant tone, saying, "We don't have complete victory yet," but promising, "We will have victory, and victory will be soon, and it will be permanent."
The timing is significant: Blanche's nomination narrowly advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, after being held up for more than a week by two Republicans seeking assurances that he would block a proposed $1.8 billion compensation fund for January 6 rioters. He is now expected to be confirmed by the full Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-seat majority.
His remarks could complicate confirmation votes for moderate Republican senators like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, both of whom support abortion rights. However, GOP leaders can afford to lose two votes if Senator Mitch McConnell remains absent and all 47 Senate Democrats vote no.
The administration's push to restrict mail-order abortion pills is part of a broader effort to roll back abortion access, even as public opinion polls show majority support for legal abortion in many cases. The move is likely to face legal challenges from Democratic states, which have already sued the administration over other policies, including tariff actions and welfare data sharing with ICE.
