Majority in new poll say abortion pill decision motivated by politics

A slight majority of adults believe the Texas ruling that put the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of an abortion pill in jeopardy was motivated by politics, according to a new poll. 

A Reuters-Ipsos poll found that 56 percent of respondents said the decision from U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk against the FDA’s yearslong approval of mifepristone was political. That includes two-thirds of Democrats and half of Republicans who responded to the poll. 

Only 28 percent of Republicans said they believed the decision was not politically influenced, while about 20 percent said they were not sure. 

The ruling from Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Trump, rejected the FDA’s 23-year-long approval of mifepristone since 2000. Kacsmaryk sided with an antiabortion group in finding that the agency rushed the approval process and allowed an unsafe drug to reach the market. 

The FDA and advocacy groups have pushed back, arguing that the drug has been demonstrated to be safe and effective while it has been available nationwide. Mifepristone is one of two abortion-causing drugs available and can be used for up to 10 weeks of pregnancy. 

Kacsmaryk gave the federal government a week to file an appeal before his ruling went into effect. Multiple parts of the Biden administration and Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of the pill, appealed the ruling within 24 hours of it being handed down. 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted an emergency stay on Kacsmaryk’s ruling to keep mifepristone available on the market while legal challenges play out. 

The fight over access to the abortion pill, which is used in a majority of abortions nationwide, is the latest front in the battle over abortion rights after Roe was overturned. Almost two dozen states have taken steps to severely restrict abortion through trigger bans and other legislation since Roe was overturned, though some restrictions are currently on hold amid court battles over them. 

Pollsters found 73 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of Republicans oppose state-level restrictions on access to abortion pills. They also found 43 percent of Republicans said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who supports limiting abortion access. 

The poll was conducted among 995 adults, including 433 self-described Democrats and 379 self-described Republicans. The poll’s credibility interval was about 4 to 6 points.