Melissa Murray

In any event, a new group filed a lawsuit, this time in Louisiana.

That was honestly the biggest surprise, that they didn't go back to Amarillo and Judge Matthew Kaczmarek to file this case.

They instead filed it in Louisiana.

And last Friday, the Fifth Circuit issued a decision on the case where they effectively

issued a nationwide ban on mifepristone, basically saying that the FDA had not done what it needed to do in approving it and that there were questions regarding the FDA's approval of mifepristone that required staying the distribution of the telehealth aspects of the protocols for distributing mifepristone.

So

I just want to emphasize the Fifth Circuit did this, but they got a real assist from the Trump administration.

So the Trump administration has been at great pains to stay out of abortion, likely because they recognize it's a really bad issue for them.

The whole idea of women dying in parking lots doesn't sell well even in the red states.

So the administration has been pretty hands-off on abortion and reproductive rights.

But the FDA, under Secretary Bear Juice, aka RFK Jr., has been making some statements about mifepristone.

For example, they've challenged or questioned whether the FDA's approval of mifepristone was appropriate.

They've challenged or said that some of the requirements for distributing mifepristone via telehealth or through the mails should be questioned or reexamined.

So

In making those kinds of statements and concessions about the efficacy and safety of mifepristone, the administration basically laid the groundwork for the Fifth Circuit.

And indeed, the Fifth Circuit cited many of these statements from administration officials at the FDA in making its decision.

So they relied on those statements.

So

This wasn't issued by the Trump administration.

They didn't put a ban on Mifepristone, but they certainly gave the Fifth Circuit a glide path for doing so.