Americans still widely oppose the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, ruling women do not have a federal right to an abortion, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
In the CNN poll, conducted April 18-23, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents say they disapprove of the Supreme Court’s decision — including 47 percent who say so strongly and 18 percent who say so somewhat.
One-third of respondents (34 percent) say they approve of the decision — including 20 percent strongly and 14 percent somewhat.
The tide has stayed relatively stable, with disapproval of the Supreme Court decision ticking up slightly over the last two years — up 2 points from July 2022 (63 percent), immediately following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, and up 1 point from July 2023 (64 percent).
Similarly, approval of the Supreme Court decision has declined slightly — down 3 points from 37 percent approve in July 2022, and down 2 points from last July’s 36 percent approval.
The minor changes, though, are not statistically significant, and are within the poll’s 3.4-point margin of error.
Abortion has already proved to be a key issue in the 2024 presidential election, as red states have enacted more restrictive abortion measures following the 2022 Supreme Court decision.
While supporters of President Biden’s reelection campaign are unified (92 percent) in their disapproval of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, supporters of former President Trump’s 2024 campaign are split: 58 percent say they approve of the Supreme Court decision, while 42 percent say they disapprove.
Trump’s public statements on abortion have reflected the uncertainty of his base. After waiting months to unveil his official position on abortion, Trump said abortion laws should be left to the states, before later that week criticizing Arizona’s Supreme Court for upholding a Civil War-era near-total ban on abortion that was criticized by even many Republicans in the state. He also said later he would not sign a federal abortion ban, but has frequently taken credit for appointing the justices who ultimately provided the votes to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Those who described themselves as conservative ideologically and Republican politically are more likely to approve of the Supreme Court decision than those who say they support Trump in 2024. Conservatives, at 64 percent, say they approve of the decision, and Republicans, at 63 percent, say they approve of the decision.
The poll was conducted via web and phone among 1,212 respondents.
