On October 10, 2025, the debate over reproductive rights in the United States reached a new level of intensity, as advocacy groups, lawmakers, and medical experts sounded alarms about a series of controversial actions and statements from the Trump administration. At the heart of the controversy are two interconnected developments: the indictment of New York Attorney General Tish James by the Department of Justice, and the administration's claims regarding the destruction of millions of dollars worth of contraceptives overseas. Both moves have ignited fierce criticism and renewed fears about the future of reproductive freedom across the country.
According to a statement released by Reproductive Freedom for All, a leading advocacy organization formerly known as NARAL Pro-Choice America, Donald Trump’s Department of Justice crossed a line that "no president has crossed before" by ordering the indictment of AG Tish James. The group characterized the prosecution as "politically motivated" and a "blatant abuse of power," arguing that it represents an unprecedented escalation in what they describe as Trump’s campaign to weaponize federal law enforcement against those who hold him accountable.
Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, did not mince words: "AG Tish James has shown unwavering courage in standing up for justice, democracy, and reproductive freedom, and now Donald Trump is trying to punish her for it. He is using the Department of Justice as his personal weapon. This isn’t about justice. It’s about revenge. Trump’s corruption threatens every freedom we hold dear—from our right to vote to our right to control our own bodies. We are with AG James and every leader fighting to defend the rule of law and protect our democracy from his abuse of power."
Tish James has long been recognized as a champion for reproductive freedom, leading efforts to defend access to medication abortion, protect patients and providers from harassment, and combat the spread of disinformation by crisis pregnancy centers. Under her leadership, New York has emerged as a national model for safeguarding abortion access, especially for individuals forced to travel from states where care is banned. Reproductive Freedom for All, now more than 4 million members strong, has fought for over 55 years to advance reproductive rights at both the federal and state levels, including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, lawmakers and advocates are warning that the fight over contraception access is far from over. The controversy erupted after the Trump administration claimed in September 2025 that it had destroyed nearly $10 million worth of birth control pills, IUDs, and hormonal implants overseas, labeling them "abortifacients"—a term used for medications or devices that induce abortions. This assertion was immediately disputed by medical experts and contradicted by Belgian officials, who reported that the stockpile of contraceptives was still sitting untouched in a warehouse.
The contraceptives in question, which were purchased by the United States Agency for International Development, were intended for women in low-income countries as part of the US government’s global family planning assistance program. This initiative typically helps prevent an estimated 8.1 million unintended pregnancies, 5.2 million unsafe abortions, and 34,000 maternal deaths each year in crisis zones and refugee camps, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Internal documents obtained by The New York Times revealed that global organizations such as the Gates Foundation had offered to distribute the contraceptives at no cost, but the US State Department instead opted for their destruction—at taxpayer expense. A US official initially confirmed the destruction in an email to The New York Times, only to later walk back the claim as a "miscommunication."
The Trump administration’s justification for the planned destruction rested on the assertion that these contraceptives were "abortifacients." However, medical authorities, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have been clear: birth control methods like IUDs and pills work by preventing ovulation or fertilization, and are not considered abortifacients under medical or legal standards. Delegate Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg City, Spotsylvania County, Stafford County), a member of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia’s "Bros for Repro" campaign, called the administration’s framing "deliberate misinformation."
"They know they’re lying to the people, but they know that most of us aren’t aware of the truth," Cole said. "And so if they can mislead us, if they can scare us, if they could divide us and get us off track, they know they’ll continue to run amok in the United States."
For Cole and fellow delegate Joshua Thomas (D-Prince William County), the federal confusion is not just about overseas aid—it’s a warning for Virginians. Earlier this year, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed the Right to Contraception Act twice, a bill that would have guaranteed Virginians the right to access and prescribe birth control. Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, emphasized at a World Contraception Day press conference, "Contraception is essential health care. It gives people the freedom to decide if, when and how to start a family. It helps manage conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. It reduces cancer risk and empowers people to plan their futures on their own terms."
Lockhart also shared a personal perspective, saying, "Access to contraception changed my life, and it changes lives every day across the commonwealth. No politician should be able to take that away."
Thomas drew a direct line between Washington, DC, and Richmond, arguing that Governor Youngkin’s actions mirror those of the Trump administration. "Unfortunately, here in Virginia, we have a governor who’s continuously auditioning to be president and wants nothing more than to be patted on the head by President Trump and anointed as number two on the line. And so whenever new information comes from Washington DC, Gov. Youngkin immediately enacts it or is deferential to it—either way, Virginia families and particularly Virginia women lose."
For many Virginians, especially those relying on Medicaid for basic reproductive care, the consequences could be immediate. Thomas, representing a district with a large immigrant population, noted, "I live in an immigrant household. And so I’m well aware of various parts of the world that need access to all the different tools when it comes to family planning and so for these to be destroyed in those other countries when we already paid for it, is not only wasteful but neglectful of people’s health."
Both Cole and Thomas see their advocacy as part of a broader responsibility to challenge the notion that reproductive rights are solely "women’s issues." Through Planned Parenthood’s "Bros for Repro" campaign, they aim to ensure that men in positions of power speak up for contraception access and the right to bodily autonomy for all.
"People deserve to make their own decisions as it relates to their body, as it relates to when or if they’re going to start their families, and it should be left up to them," Cole said. "The doctor’s room is too big for a doctor, a person and a lawmaker, so we just need to trust women, trust people when they’re ready to do what they have to do, and let them make this decision with the doctors and their families."
Thomas was even more blunt: "Rights on all fronts are under attack, particularly a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health care decisions. And if the state can take away that fundamental right to your body to half the population, think about what other rights they can take away."
As the battle over reproductive rights intensifies, advocates and lawmakers warn that the stakes have never been higher—for Virginians, for New Yorkers, and for Americans nationwide.
