Press Release Arizona
Press Release
Trump Judicial Nominees Refuse to Rebuke Their Anti-Abortion Records
For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 5, 2025
Contact: [email protected]
Trump Judicial Nominees Refuse to Rebuke Their Anti-Abortion Records
Washington, DC — Yesterday, Donald Trump’s very first slate of judicial nominees appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for a confirmation hearing. Trump has nominated Whitney Hermandorfer to the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and four nominees to the U.S. District Courts in Missouri, including Joshua Divine and Maria Lanahan. Hermandorfer, Divine, and Lanahan all have extensive anti-abortion records. When questioned on their anti-abortion records, all 3 refused to condemn previous statements, signaling they could side with anti-abortion extremists if confirmed.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“Trump wasted no time nominating some of the most extreme anti-abortion judges to our federal courts, and this is just the beginning. Hermandorfer, Divine, and Lanahan’s silence on their anti-abortion records during this hearing speaks volumes. These nominees were selected for these critical judicial vacancies because of their hostility toward reproductive freedom and abortion access. Thank you to Senate Democrats for continuing to stand against Trump’s effort to erode our nation’s courts.”
Hermandorfer, Divine, and Lanahan’s anti-abortion records:
- Hermandorfer served as lead counsel in a case defending Tennessee’s total abortion ban. Hermandorfer also challenged HHS’s rule requiring providers who receive federal Title X funding to give patients information about where to get an abortion if requested by the patient.
- Divine is currently representing Missouri in Missouri v. FDA, the latest legal challenge against access to mifepristone, a pill commonly used in abortion care and miscarriage management. Divine also led litigation challenging Missouri’s ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights into the state’s constitution.
- Lanahan supported Missouri’s effort to intervene in Missouri v. FDA (formerly AHM v. FDA) and spread outrageous disinformation about mifepristone despite decades of peer-reviewed research proving its safety, defended Missouri’s proposed legislation to prevent any Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in the state, and is a member of the ultra-conservative Teneo Network, chaired by Leonard Leo.
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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.