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Roe, which was overturned 10 months ago, remains overturned—meaning Republicans already won on abortion. Yet, Graham is the latest example of Republicans who are unable to take the win. Discerning Jezebel readers know that Roe was never the final target—that would be ending legal abortion entirely. But nearly five decades of advocating for the end of Roe have left many in the anti-abortion movement ill-prepared for their next move.

Earlier this month, when Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk issued a ruling invalidating the Food and Drug Administration’s 2000 approval of an abortion pill, mifepristone, Republicans didn’t know how to respond.
Do they cheer a ruling further restricting abortion, even if it would throw the pharmaceutical industry into chaos? There was immediate fracturing with at least one Republican congresswoman saying FDA should just ignore the ruling.

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Abortion is massively popular, and a winning electoral issue. Every court case concerning banning medication abortion seems to be making people even more in support of bodily autonomy. In a poll published on Monday morning, NPR/Marist found that nearly two-thirds of surveyed adults opposed laws that ban medication abortion. (The poll was conducted before Friday’s decision by the Supreme Court to keep an abortion pill on the market while litigation continues.)

Graham’s blubbering slots directly into the party’s confusion. Republicans are obviously still anti-abortion. However, like the proverbial dog that finally caught the car, they don’t know what the hell they should do next.