Supreme Court abortion ruling updates: WH warns of ‘nightmare scenarios’

The Supreme Court voted to overrule the decisions of Roe and Casey.

ByMeredith Deliso, Mark Osborne, Nadine El-Bawab, Mary Kekatos, Alexandra Svokos, Kate Pastor, Haley Yamada, Stephanie Guerilus , and Melissa Gaffney
Last Updated: June 29, 2022, 4:29 PM EDT

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in a much-anticipated ruling Friday in one of its biggest decisions this term.

The court voted 5-4, largely along party lines, to overturn Roe and 6-3, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which involved Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion rights supporters react to the overturning of Roe v Wade outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022.
Mary F. Calvert/Reuters

It appeared that the panel's conservative majority of justices was ready to overturn nearly 50 years of established abortion rights after last month's leaked draft decision indicated as much.

Top headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jun 25, 2022, 6:59 PM EDT

Two arrested for destruction of property

Two people were arrested Saturday afternoon for destruction of property, after allegedly throwing paint over a fence near the Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol Police announced.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., to protest following the decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.

People protest about abortion outside the Supreme Court in Washington, June 25, 2022.
Steve Helber/AP

Capitol Police added that due to the weather, 12 people were treated for heat issues and that “local partners worked together to bring in cooling buses & additional people to help demonstrators with heat issues.“

Jun 25, 2022, 4:54 PM EDT

Abortion illegal in 8 states

Abortion has become illegal in eight states, home to more than 31 million Americans, since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed the medical procedure as a constitutional right.

Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah had trigger laws that went into effect following the ruling.

Providers have stopped performing abortions in Arizona, Wisconsin and West Virginia while legal analysis is pending. Abortions are not being performed in a total of at least 11 states.

All state abortion bans currently in effect provide an exception when the life of the mother is at risk.<

Only Utah allows exceptions for cases of rape, incest or a lethal fetal deformity.

ABC News’ Devin P. Dwyer

Jun 25, 2022, 4:00 PM EDT

Trudeau says Americans can now access Canada's health care system for abortions: AP

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday Americans can now access Canada's health care system for abortions and that will continue, according to the Associated Press.

Trudeau called the court's decision "horrific" and voiced concern that the ruling could someday allow a rollback of legal protections for gay relationships, including the right for same-sex couples to marry, according to the AP.

"Women for generations have fought for more rights in the United States, (only) to see this setback, to worry as well about how this can be expanded to more rights be taken away in the United States," he said at a press conference in Rwanda, according to the AP.

Trudeau didn't answer when asked if his government is planning to offer help for American women seeking an abortion in Canada, according to the AP.

Jun 25, 2022, 1:01 PM EDT

White House warns of ‘nightmare scenarios’ after Roe repeal

The White House on Saturday continued to criticize the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters the Supreme Court’s ruling is “out of step” with what a majority of Americans want.

“We are going to see some nightmare scenarios, sadly, because of this decision,” Jean-Pierre said on Air Force One on the way to the G7 summit in Germany.

Jean-Pierre touted the steps announced by the administration yesterday to protect access to federally approved medication like contraception and medication abortion and to ensure women can travel across state lines for reproductive health care.

But it's ultimately up to Congress to fully restore Roe, she said.

“If that can’t happen, the American public has to use their voice," Jean-Pierre said. "In light of this decision, they have to use their voice at the ballot box."

Not on the table, she said, is court expansion: “That is something that the President does not agree with.”