In 2022, Vance advocated for a national abortion ban, citing the possibility that those seeking abortions could travel to a state where abortion is still legalized to receive health care. Since he was added to the ticket, his support for the ban and other anti-abortion views have disappeared from his campaign website. [CNN, 7/17/24; Truthout, 7/17/24] 

Vance joined fellow GOP senators to advocate for the enforcement of the Comstock Act, which “bans the mailing of abortion-related materials,” including the drug mifepristone. The enforcement of the Comstock Act has also been outlined as a priority in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s conservative blueprint for a Trump administration. [The Washington Post, 7/17/24; Center for American Progress, 6/13/24]

Vance has also argued to “set some minimum national standard” for abortion, even if it was left up to the states. [Cincinnati.com/The Enquirer, 10/11/22]

Vance has implied that he does not believe in rape or incest exceptions to abortion restrictions. When asked about his opinion, Vance said, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” [The Washington Post, 7/16/24]

Most recently, Vance voted against safeguards for nationwide access for IVF. [Salon, 7/17/24]

NBC News’ Kristen Welker said Vance was “initially more conservative” on abortion than Trump and during the convention he had “moderated his tone on abortion.” Welker failed to elaborate on those “more conservative” views. [NBC, NBC News, 7/15/24]

NBC News’ Tom Llamas stated that J.D. Vance’s views on abortion have “evolved, just like a lot of Republicans have evolved,” but failed to mention any details of his extremism. Guest Molly Ball said Vance “is in line with” Trump and now says he supports “things like the abortion pill, which is, as you say, an evolution from his previous pro-life position.” [NBC, NBC News, 7/17/24]

While profiling Vance, CBS News noted that Vance “agrees with the former president’s stance that this issue should be left up to the states but that there should be reasonable exceptions that most Americans support” without mentioning Vance’s prior position that there should be no exceptions. [CBS, CBS News, 7/16/24]

The New York Times deceptively edited a quote by Vance in which he advocated for a national abortion ban. [Abortion, Every Day, 7/18/24]

ABC News did not press conservative commentator Sarah Isgur when she, after dismissing concerns about Vance's alleged extremism, commended the Republican Party for its “softening on abortion.” [ABC, ABC News, 7/15/24]

While interviewing Trump shill and Republican senate candidate Bernie Moreno, CNN’s Abby Phillips failed to push back when Moreno claimed that reports of Vance’s prior anti-aborton extremism are not “true at all.” [CNN, CNN Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer, 7/16/24]

On ABC News, guest Julie Roginsky listed some concerns about Vance, including his opposition to IVF and the suggestion that he opposes exceptions for abortion, and former Vivek Ramaswamy spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin replied that she was taking him “out of context.” McLaughlin then claimed that such claims contributed to the “rhetoric” that resulted in Trump’s assassination attempt. Anchor Diane Macedo failed to correct McLaughlin and instead pivoted to questions about the Democratic National Convention. [ABC, ABC News,  7/17/24]