Reproductive Freedom for All Condemns Joshua Divine Confirmation

Formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America

Press Release

Reproductive Freedom for All Condemns Confirmation of Joshua Divine to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Contact: [email protected]

Reproductive Freedom for All Condemns Confirmation of Joshua Divine to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri

Washington, DC — Today, the Senate confirmed anti-abortion extremist Joshua Divine to the United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri.

Divine has a dangerous record of attacking reproductive freedom, which includes representing Missouri in ongoing, baseless litigation challenging the FDA’s authority to regulate mifepristone – despite its proven record of safety and efficacy —  and leading litigation that challenged Missouri’s ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.

Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement in response:

ā€œDivine’s confirmation makes clear that Trump lied to voters when he said he would ā€˜leave it to the states,’ and he is actively working to eliminate abortion access nationwide. Federal courts are a critical line of defense to preserve reproductive health care, and these appointments are a dangerous sign of what’s to come.ā€

Divine’s confirmation comes on the heels of Whitney Hermandorfer’s recent confirmation to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Hermandorfer served as lead counsel in a case defending Tennessee’s total abortion ban and has consistently championed right-wing stances on abortion throughout her career.

And Trump is still moving full-speed ahead to place anti-abortion loyalists in every branch of government—including Maria Lanahan to the Eastern District of Missouri and Josh Craddock as deputy assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice.

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For over 50 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.