(WASHINGTON) — Justice Department investigators probing former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents after leaving office have asked a judge to overrule attorney-client privilege and compel one of Trump’s attorneys to appear before a grand jury, multiple sources have confirmed to ABC News.
The DOJ is making the request on the basis of the crime-fraud exception, sources said, which allows for attorney-client privilege to be suspended in cases where it is suspected that legal services were rendered in the commission of a crime.
The development was first reported by the New York Times.
As previously reported by ABC News, DOJ officials said in a filing last summer that lawyers for Trump certified in early June that a “diligent search” of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate turned up just 38 classified documents, all of which were safely secured in one storage room. Two months later, when FBI agents raided the premises, they found more than 100 additional classified documents — some of which were located outside of the storage unit, including in Trump’s office desk, the DOJ said.
Prosecutors are now seeking to compel one of the Trump attorneys who made that certification to investigators, Evan Corcoran, to answer the grand jury’s questions.
They are also seeking to have Corcoran answer questions about one of Trump’s current top aides, sources tell ABC News.
Neither Corcoran nor a representative for Trump immediately responded to a request for comment from ABC News.
(EAST LANSING, Mich.) — Three students were killed and five other students were injured by a gunman who opened fire at an academic building and the student union on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing on Monday night, police said.
After an hourslong manhunt, police found the 43-year-old suspect, Anthony McRae, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound off campus.
All five injured students remain in critical condition Tuesday morning, officials said.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Feb 15, 5:42 AM EST
MSU student survives bloodshed 14 months after another mass shooting
ABC News spoke to Matt Riddle, who said his daughter survived the bloodshed at Michigan State University on Monday night, 14 months after surviving another deadly mass shooting at a high school in Oxford, Michigan.
The shooting at Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021, left four people dead and seven others wounded.
“Having been through it in Oxford … it helped her understand what she needs to do in these situations,” Riddle told ABC News during an interview on Tuesday night. “I don’t like that she has those tools. I wish she didn’t, but she does.”
Feb 14, 7:58 PM EST
Classes to resume on Monday
Classes at Michigan State, which have been canceled in the wake of the tragic shooting, will resume on Monday, school officials said.
A vigil is also planned on campus Wednesday night in honor of the victims, all of whom were students at the school, officials said.
“We are devastated by this tragedy and wrap our collective arms around the victims’ families and friends who face unimaginable injury and loss,” Kim Tobin, vice president of university advancement, said in a statement Wednesday announcing the details.
Feb 14, 6:27 PM EST
Victim Arielle Anderson remembered for passion to help others
Arielle Anderson, a junior from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, was one of the three Michigan State students killed in the shooting. Her family remembered her as a “precious daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend” in a statement shared Tuesday evening through her mother’s employer, Comerica Bank.
“As much as we loved her, she loved us and others even more,” the family said. “She was passionate about helping her friends and family, assisting children and serving people.”
Anderson, who was described as “sweet and loving with an infectious smile,” wanted to be a surgeon, her family said.
“Driven by her aspiration to tend to the health and welfare of others as a surgeon, she was working diligently to graduate from Michigan State University early to achieve her goals as quickly as possible,” the family said.
“We are absolutely devastated by this heinous act of violence upon her and many other innocent victims,” the statement added.
Feb 14, 3:26 PM EST
University releases names of victims
The three Michigan State students killed in the shooting have been identified by university police.
Brian Fraser, a sophomore, and Arielle Anderson, a junior, were both from Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
Alexandria Verner, a junior, was from Clawson, Michigan.
Five other students remain in the hospital in critical condition following the attack.
Feb 14, 2:19 PM EST
Suspect walked from his home to campus, viewed himself as ‘loner’
The FBI offered new details on the suspected gunman in a confidential briefing to law enforcement on Tuesday.
Investigators have determined 43-year-old Anthony McRae walked from his home to Michigan State and had no connection to the university or the victims.
Authorities said that when McRae was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, he had a “3-page document expressing his reasons for the attack and a number of additional locations in Lansing and Holt, Mich.; Ewing Township and Franklin Park, NJ; and Colorado Springs, Colo., which had ‘hurted’ (sic) him and, therefore, were deserving of attack.” Agents believe he had “personal grievances” with people at those locations.
McRae lived with his father, who is cooperating with the investigation, the FBI reported.
Investigators said the suspect’s writings confirmed he “was often alone.” The briefing said the gunman viewed himself as “a loner” and an “outcast” who was “never noticed or accepted by others.”
-ABC News’ Josh Margolin
Feb 14, 1:12 PM EST
Biden urges Congress to ‘enact commonsense gun law reforms’
President Joe Biden said in a statement Tuesday, “Our hearts are with these young victims and their families, the broader East Lansing and Lansing communities, and all Americans across the country grieving as the result of gun violence.”
Biden noted that the Michigan State mass shooting came one night before the U.S. marked five years since the Parkland, Florida, high school massacre. In the Feb. 14, 2018 school shooting in Parkland, 17 students and staff were gunned down.
“I have taken action to combat this epidemic in America, including a historic number of executive actions and the first significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years, but we must do more,” Biden said.
He stressed, “Congress must do something and enact commonsense gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, closing loopholes in our background check system, requiring safe storage of guns, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets. Action is what we owe to those grieving today in Michigan and across America.”
Feb 14, 1:04 PM EST
Timeline of the shooting
The first active shooter call came in at 8:18 p.m. from Berkey Hall, an academic building, and the university immediately told students to shelter in place, the Michigan State University Police Department said.
Shots were fired soon after at the student union.
At about 11 p.m., the suspected gunman was seen on campus security cameras, police said.
Images of the suspect were shared with the public at 11:18 p.m., police said.
At about 11:35 p.m., a caller’s tip led police to the suspect, authorities said.
Feb 14, 12:36 PM EST
Suspect had 2 guns, numerous magazines
The suspected shooter, 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, lived in Lansing, officials said.
The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound as law enforcement was approaching, a law enforcement source briefed on the situation said.
The source added that a firearm was recovered at the scene, and a second firearm was found in a backpack along with numerous magazines.
McRae served 18 months in prison between 2019 and 2021 on a weapons charge for having a loaded weapon in his vehicle, according to Michigan’s Department of Corrections.
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman, Luke Barr and Josh Margolin
Feb 14, 12:25 PM EST
Michigan State police releases names of 2 victims
Two of the three Michigan State students killed in the shooting have been identified by university police.
Brian Fraser, a sophomore, was from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, while Alexandria Verner, a junior, was from Clawson. Authorities said they will not be naming the third victim at the request of the family.
Five other students remain in the hospital following the attack.
Feb 14, 11:56 AM EST
Shock, fear, confusion at Michigan State
At Michigan State, students and staff are overcome with shock, fear and confusion, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor told ABC News’ GMA3.
“It’s a terrible time. No mayor, no governor, no elected official ever wants to be up all night or wake up to a situation like this,” he said.
Schor said mental health resources are available.
Schor said the five injured students “are critical but stable.”
“It’s touch and go,” he said. “and the doctors are doing their best to work as aggressively as possible.”
Feb 14, 11:02 AM EST
Suspect had note indicating threat to NJ schools
When the suspect, 43-year-old Anthony McRae, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said there was a note in his pocket indicating a threat to two public schools in Ewing, New Jersey, according to Ewing police.
McRae had local ties to Ewing but hasn’t lived in the area in several years, police said.
Ewing Public Schools are closed on Tuesday out of an abundance of caution, police said. However, no threat has been found and schools are expected to reopen on Wednesday, police said.
McRae “had a history of mental health issues,” police added.
Feb 14, 8:47 AM EST
No motive known
No motive is known, police said. The 43-year-old suspect, Anthony McRae, had no known connection to the university, according to authorities.
After police released the suspect’s photo, a tip from a caller led authorities to finding him, officials said.
A search warrant has been executed at a home, police said.
Feb 14, 8:14 AM EST
Michigan leaders call out US gun violence
At a news conference Tuesday, Michigan leaders called out the prevalence of U.S. gun violence.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said, “I cannot believe I am here again doing this 15 months later,” speaking at the scene of another Michigan school shooting, referring to the November 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School where four students were killed and several others were injured.
“I am filled with rage that we have to have another press conference about our children being killed in schools,” she said.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer added, “We’re all broken by an all-too-familiar feeling.”
“We cannot keep living like this,” she said. “Our children are scared to go to school. People feel unsafe in their houses of worship or local stores.”
Feb 14, 6:00 AM EST
City manager thanks ‘brave’ first responders after ‘horrific act of violence’
Interim East Lansing City Manager Randy Talifarro described Monday night’s mass shooting at Michigan State University as a “horrific act of violence.”
“The City of East Lansing is mourning the devastating shooting that occurred on the campus of Michigan State University tonight,” Talifarro said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to all of the victims of this horrific act of violence as well as their family and friends. East Lansing and MSU have always shared in each other’s victories and each other’s losses. Tonight, we hold space while we grapple with this devastating loss of life together.”
Talifarro also thanked the “brave first responders who quickly responded to MSU’s campus.”
“Against every natural instinct they ran towards the sound of danger, seeking not their own wellbeing, but instead to protect and serve those in need,” he said. “And we stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone impacted by tonight’s events. Please know that you’re not alone in your grief. We stand with you and will be here as we seek to heal as a community.”
City buildings and offices, including city hall, the public library and the district court, will be closed to the general public on Tuesday. Essential city employees will be reporting to work.
Drop-in counseling services will be available for members of the community at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center beginning at 9 a.m. ET.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Toronto 123, Orlando 113
Milwaukee 131, Boston 125 (OT)
Phoenix 120, Sacramento 109
LA Clippers 134, Golden State 124
Washington 126, Portland 101
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Montreal 4, Chicago 0
Carolina 3, Washington 2
New Jersey 3, Columbus 2
Ottawa 3, NY Islanders 2 (SO)
St. Louis 6, Florida 2
Winnipeg 3, Seattle 2 (SO)
Boston 3, Dallas 2 (OT)
Tampa Bay 4, Colorado 3 (SO)
Pittsburgh 3 San Jose 1
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Kansas 87, Oklahoma St. 76
Oklahoma 79, Kansas St. 65
Providence 94, Creighton 86
Syracuse 75, NC State 72
Actor, writer, director and TheMandalorian creator Jon Favreau was honored with the 2,746th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a ceremony Monday.
Favreau, who as an actor starred in movies including Rudy, before breaking out as the writer and star of Swingers alongside his longtime friend Vince Vaughn, went on to direct films including the holiday classic Elf and helped launch the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man in 2008.
Favreau’s Walk of Fame monument reflects his contributions to television.
Favreau was honored at the podium by his Chef coach and Chef Show co-star chef Roy Choi, as well as Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr.
Downey celebrated Favreau’s vision, noting that Iron Man got underway 16 years ago to the day of the honor. Referencing his troubled past, Downey said, “I was beyond grateful for the power of second chances … and for no good reason, Jon and Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios’ now-president] trusted me.”
Downey explained, “Iron Man was a second-tier superhero property [that] had no shot at affording Kevin Feige the opportunity of launching a cinematic universe, because there was no such thing as a cinematic universe.”
Channeling Tony Stark, a sunglasses-wearing Downey said, “Now I would never insinuate that it was me who made Jon a multihyphenate international sensation,” before adding Favreau’s work “continues to leave us elevated, inspired and connected.”
Favreau humbly accepted the honor in a “very brief speech,” noting he had many fond personal and professional memories of the landmark on Hollywood Boulevard. “To be part of this fabric is really the honor,” he explained, saying he hopes his star will continue to inspire “people who want to tell stories.”
To “make it official,” Downey added a wad of gum to Jon’s star.
Netflix has revealed that its Bridgerton prequel series centering on the early days of Golda Rosheuvel‘sQueen Charlotte will debut May 4.
A teaser for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story showsIndia Amarteifio as the young royal, Corey Mylchreest as young King George and Arsema Thomas as young Lady Danbury.
For Charlotte, the pressure is on. “Your marriage is the business of this country,” she’s told. “This cannot go wrong!”
According to the streamer, the six-episode series centers “on Queen Charlotte’s rise to prominence and power,” which “tells the story of how the young Queen’s marriage to King George sparked both a great love story and a societal shift, creating the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton.”
Netflix also announced the launch of an interactive attraction called The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience opening this spring in New York City. The waitlist is now open, and guests can register here.
Producers announced cameras will roll again this spring on Rust, the Alec Baldwin film on which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in 2021, according to a press release.
Director Joel Souza, who was injured by the bullet that fatally struck Hutchins after it discharged from Baldwin’s pistol on set, will be back behind the camera, as will several key crew members.
As reported, Matthew Hutchins, the widower of the slain cinematographer, will now serve as an executive producer on the film. He joins Rust‘s original producers and a new addition, Academy Award-nominated The Thin Red Line veteranGrant Hill.
The press release noted safety officers will be added to the film and, “at Hutchins’ behest and with his blessing …, cinematographer Bianca Cline (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) will complete Halyna’s vision for the film.”
Cline is donating her salary to a charity in Halyna’s honor.
In the announcement, Souza noted, “Though bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team joining former cast and crew are committed to completing what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna’s legacy and making her proud. It is a privilege to see this through on her behalf.”
Baldwin and set armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in Halyna’s death. They are scheduled to make their first court appearance virtually on February 24.
Prosecutors claim that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed failed to correct reckless safety violations in their roles as producer and armorer, respectively, and that Baldwin pulled the trigger, contradicting his statements to the contrary.
Last week, Halyna’s parents and sister filed a new lawsuit against Baldwin and the film’s producers, alleging negligence, battery, intentional affliction of emotional distress and loss of consortium.
Jennifer Lopez is reportedly moving again, this time to a swanky Pacific Palisades mansion in Los Angeles.
ET Canada reports she and husband Ben Affleck sank $34.5 million into buying their new property, which is in escrow. The outlet also pinpointed the Zillow listing, which reveals the mansion was constructed in 2022 and offers seven bedrooms and 13 bathrooms across 15,100 square feet of living space. The residence is set on an acre of land and also comes with a six-car garage.
As for the more luxurious perks, the home offers a gourmet kitchen, full-service bar, temperature-controlled wine cellar, private gym and health spa, private theater, pool, jacuzzi, outdoor kitchen and, per the listing, ample privacy.
The purchase comes a few days after Lopez listed her luxurious Bel Air mansion for $42 million. She and Affleck are also reportedly parting ways with their estate in Georgia, which offers 87 acres, for a cool $8.9 million.
With the addition of their Pacific Palisades mansion, their portfolio includes a mansion in the Hamptons and a cottage in Encino, California, as well as a penthouse in New York City.
(LAS CRUSES, N.M.) — The New Mexico State University men’s basketball coach has been fired days after the program was suspended for the rest of the season amid an investigation into alleged hazing incidents, the school’s chancellor said.
Dan E. Arvizu, chancellor of New Mexico State University, said he decided to terminate coach Greg Heiar earlier on Tuesday, after learning of the hazing allegations involving the students on the team.
“As I’ve stated previously, hazing has no place on our campus, and those found responsible will be held accountable for their actions,” Arvizu said in a statement. “I am committed to the safety and well-being of all members of our campus community, as well as to the integrity of our university.”
The chancellor added that the school will work to “ensure that support systems are in place to prevent this from happening again.”
Arvizu said he informed the university’s director of athletics, Mario Moccia, of his decision Tuesday afternoon.
Heiar, the former Northwest Florida State coach, was hired by New Mexico State University in March 2022.
ABC News was not immediately able to reach Heiar for comment.
The decision to terminate Heiar comes two days after the chancellor announced he had suspended the men’s basketball program for the rest of the season.
“This action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reviewing investigation reports related to the hazing allegations involving student-athletes on the team,” Arvizu said in a statement on Sunday, adding that it’s “time for this program to reset.”
The allegations surfaced Friday as the men’s basketball team was in Southern California preparing for a game against California Baptist University in Riverside, Arvizu said in a statement Saturday night. He said he immediately suspended the basketball program, canceled Saturday’s game and placed the coaching staff on paid administrative leave.
“We took this action after receiving reports of alleged hazing incidents within our men’s basketball team,” Arvizu said in his statement.
According to a New Mexico State University Police Department report, a player reported the alleged incidents on Friday, claiming they have been “hazed” by three teammates in the locker room of both home and away games for several months, usually in front of the entire team.
Arvizu said the players and coaching staff were called back to the school in Las Cruces and interviewed by university personnel specially trained to conduct investigations into hazing incidents.
“The most important job I have as Chancellor of the NMSU System is to ensure our students are safe and protected from harm,” Arvizu said. “That’s why I was so heartbroken and sickened to hear about these hazing allegations.”
Arvizu did not provide details of the incidents or say when they occurred. In his statement, Arvizu added, “hazing is a despicable act. It humiliates and degrades someone and has the potential to cause physical and emotional harm, or even death.”
“Sadly, hazing can become part of an organization’s culture left unchecked,” Arvizu said. “NMSU policy strictly prohibits hazing, in all forms, and it’s something we simply will not tolerate.”
School personnel were “recently informed of new allegations” involving the potential violations of school policy, the Las Cruces university said in a statement.
The New Mexico State University Board of Regents said in a statement that it “supports the action taken by the university leaders and is confident a full and thorough investigation will be conducted.” The board noted it was informed of the suspension Friday evening.
In a statement on the university’s website, the Board of Regents announced it will hold a closed-door meeting on Tuesday on matters that “may include discussion of personally identifiable information about individual NMSU students.”
The men’s basketball team competes in the NCAA Division I Western Athletic Conference.
In a statement Sunday night, WAC Commissioner Brian Thornton said: “The Western Athletic Conference is committed to both the mental and physical well-being of all of our student-athletes. We are saddened and disappointed that hazing continues to be a part of our society at any level.”
“Over the last 48 hours, our staff and membership have been working to find a solution that best protects every WAC student-athlete and institution,” Thornton said. “We fully support New Mexico State’s decision to suspend the rest of its season, as they take this time to focus on the health and safety of their student-athletes.”
The allegations are unrelated to a fatal shooting involving one of the men’s basketball team players that occurred in Albuquerque late last year, the school said.
On Nov. 19, forward Mike Peake was allegedly involved in a pre-dawn shootout on the University of New Mexico’s campus while in Albuquerque for a game against the school, New Mexico State University officials said.
Brandon Travis, 19, and three other University of New Mexico students allegedly lured Peake to the campus to assault him, New Mexico State Police said.
Travis allegedly confronted and shot Peake, 21, who returned gunfire, police said. Travis was pronounced dead at the scene, and Peake was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
A 17-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy in connection to the shooting, and no additional arrests have been announced. The incident remains under investigation by state police.
That weekend’s Albuquerque game and a Dec. 3 rematch in Las Cruces were canceled, and Peake was suspended from the team.
In December, New Mexico State University announced it will launch an independent investigation into the events and university response involving the shooting.
(WASHINGTON) — The fifth anniversary of the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018, which left 17 people dead, falls just hours after the shooting at Michigan State University which left at least three people dead and is the 67th mass shooting this year.
Florida lawmakers Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Rep. Maxwell Frost reflected on the anniversary during a “GMA3” appearance Tuesday and called on Congress to do more on gun control.
“We’re here obviously, commemorating the 17 lives that were lost at my high school, the five-year anniversary, and yet the eve of that we have another mass shooting. For all the parents and family members that have lost loved ones from these mass shootings, especially those in Parkland – it rips the scab off, and never, never never allows it to heal. Because it’s a reminder that this stuff is still happening every single solitary day in America,” Moskowitz said.
“Five years later, we feel like we’ve made some progress and then we were reminded that nothing has changed,” he added.
Moskowitz, who graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 1999 and had a young son at a nearby preschool near the massacre, recalled the horror of that day on the Florida House Floor days after the shooting.
“My four-year-old recently learned how to write his name. So we signed him up for a writing class. That writing class was going on in Parkland on the afternoon of February 14th, around the corner from Douglas, and that class was taught by Jen Guttenberg. You see, she lost her daughter, Jamie, while she was teaching my son how to write. She put my kid in the closet when her daughter died. I wanted to say thank you at the funeral. I didn’t know how to do that,” Moskowitz said as a then Florida State rep. in 2018.
As a Florida State representative, he championed the cause and now as the Vice chairman of the Congressional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force says it’s something he hopes Congress addresses.
“It’s an indictment on government officials that we have not been able to stop this. I remember one Parkland parent saying to me and saying to the president, actually after the shooting that 9/11 happened once and we fixed it. There should have been one school shooting and we should have fixed it,” Moskowitz said.
President Joe Biden signed into law the gun safety package passed by Congress last June and while not as sweeping as he requested and did not include a ban on assault weapons, it was the first gun reform bill in decades.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act forces tougher checks on young buyers and encourages states to remove guns from people considered a threat.
But there is still more to be done according to freshman Congressman Maxwell Frost, who helped organize the first “March for our Lives” protest days after the Parkland shooting.
“It is a uniquely American problem, and it’s because of the inaction of our leaders… there’s a lot of work that needs to be done…there’s been 67 this year, more mass shootings than there are days in the year that we’ve seen happen. I want people to know this isn’t normal. It shouldn’t be normal. We deserve better than losing 100 of our lives, 100 of our people every day due to an issue that can be resolved that has a solution,” Frost said.
“Everybody who dies due to gun violence, it’s a policy failure. And we have to have the conversation and we have to continue to pass legislation to save lives,” he added.
Frost was sworn into Congress last month and is the youngest member to serve in Congress. He says his goal is to continue to get more people engaged in this issue and to “advocate for the world.”
“They created an energy, the March for Our Lives, a movement that bridged the gap between cool and consciousness and brought a whole generation of young people to the table to advocate for the world. They believe in ending gun violence and having a world where everybody has the resources that they deserve,” Frost said.
Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Abortion rights were a key factor for some races in the 2022 midterm elections, according to exit polling. Multiple states had measures before voters about enshrining or barring the constitutional right to an abortion following the June 2022 Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade — the landmark case that had legalized the procedure across the nation.
But absent those ballot measures, political analysts like Sarah Isgur feel the issue of abortion may not have as much weight in the 2024 election cycle as it did in 2022.
“I think that’s the strategy moving forward for the pro-choice side … that the ballot measure can help with turnout at the very margin,” said Isgur, an ABC News contributor. “Without those ballot measures, if you’re just running on a platform that includes abortion as an issue, right now, it’s pretty far down most Americans’ list of why they’re picking the candidates they’re picking.”
At a Republican National Committee conference in January, members passed a resolution urging the party to “go on offense in the 2024 election cycle, and expose the Democrats’ extreme position of supporting abortion on-demand up until the moment of birth.”
Democrats cast their views on the matter another way — calling it a matter of personal autonomy over government regulation — and, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, data indicates nearly all abortions in the U.S. occur at or before 13 weeks’ gestation.
Though the RNC resolution in January has no legal value, it represents where party leaders stands on abortion heading into the next presidential election cycle.
Now, Republican politicians are “doing the same thing they were doing pre the reversal of Roe,” Isgur said. “Trying to outmaneuver each other to be seen as the most pro-life person in a race or legislature.”
Their history on abortion could influence voters’ choices, too.
Here’s a look at what three leading GOP governors — who are all seen as potential 2024 candidates — are doing about the issue in their respective states.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Following the reversal of Roe, a law banning abortion after 15 weeks was reinstated in Florida. There are a few exceptions: if the life of the mother is at risk or if the fetus has a fatal anomaly, but there are no exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested he would support further tightening abortion restrictions in the state — at the same time that some other Republicans have criticized him for, in their words, “hiding behind a 15-week ban.”
When asked at a December news conference about signing a so-called “heartbeat bill” to increase restrictions up to when cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo, DeSantis said, “I’m willing to sign great [pro]-life legislation. That’s what I’ve always said I would do.”
In August, DeSantis suspended a prominent prosecutor from Tampa after the attorney made a public statement that indicated he would not criminalize the procedure.
“I just think we’re better when everybody counts,” DeSantis said during a gubernatorial debate in October. “I understand not everyone’s going to be born in perfect circumstances, but I would like to see everybody have a shot.”
DeSantis is seen as a potential 2024 presidential contender but has played down such a possibility.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he said with a laugh when asked on Tuesday if he was set to announce a campaign.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
As a state leader, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been one of the biggest supporters for legislation to restrict abortions.
South Dakota had a so-called “trigger law” in place before Roe was overruled and, following the Supreme Court’s decision, the state implemented a strict ban on abortion, with exceptions to save the life of the mother.
“What the Supreme Court did was fix a wrong decision that was made many years ago and now give the power back to the states,” Noem told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz in a June 2022 “This Week” interview.
Noem continued in that interview, “I don’t believe that mothers in this situation should ever be prosecuted. Now doctors who knowingly violate the law, they should be prosecuted, definitely.”
In January, Noem and the state Attorney General Marty Jackley wrote a joint letter to South Dakota pharmacists, warning them of possible felony prosecution associated with abortion pills.
“Under South Dakota law, pharmacies, including chain drug stores, are prohibited from procuring and dispensing abortion-inducing drugs with the intent to induce an abortion, and are subject to felony prosecution under South Dakota law, despite the recent FDA ruling,” Noem and Jackley wrote.
A spokesperson for Noem in January criticized DeSantis for not being committed to the pro-life movement.
When asked about DeSantis and his abortion agenda, Noem in a January interview with CBS News said, “I would nudge every governor to do what they can to back up their pro-life record.”
Noem told CBS that she was in no hurry to decide on a 2024 run and was “not convinced that I need to run for president.”
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has been vocal in his support for more restrictive abortion laws in his state, said during his campaign in 2021 that “I’m pro-life. I believe in exceptions in the case of rape and in case of incest and in case of where the mother’s life is in jeopardy.”
In January, Democrats in the Virginia Senate voted down a 15-week ban on the procedure with exceptions for rape and incest, along with other abortion-restricting legislation passed by the state’s Republican-led House.
“There is a real sense of frustration on behalf of our Senate Democrats who refuse to listen to Virginians, and over 80% of Virginians have expressed the view that Republicans and Democrats should find consensus on this issue,” Youngkin said in a January interview with TV station WDVM.
“There’s still a path forward in the House. But I sure hope they start listening to the folks that elected them to come represent them,” Youngkin said.
As for 2024, he told NBC News last month that he was “overwhelmingly humbled” by the discussion but did not definitively rule out running — or not.
