The Trump administration is laying the groundwork for a “post-midterm crackdown” on abortion medication, according to Talking Points Memo, which reported that a new court filing details its review of mifepristone.
TPM’s Kate Riga described the effort as a coming “attack” that has been “deliberately delayed to avoid midterm backlash.” The filing places the FDA’s expected review milestones after November’s critical midterm elections.
“FDA is on track to obtain study results by mid-December 2026,” the Justice Department wrote. “FDA will then need to review and evaluate/interpret the results and draft a report. FDA expects to complete that process not later than March 2027.”
The review specifically examines whether patients should again be required to obtain the drug in person, TPM reported Thursday.
The Biden administration removed that requirement, allowing patients to receive prescriptions through telehealth and medication through the mail.
The filing came as part of Louisiana’s lawsuit challenging those dispensing rules. The state argues that remote prescribing and mailing undermine its abortion ban.
“Following completion of its study and review, FDA will decide whether changes to the Mifepristone REMS Program are necessary,” the filing states.
It comes as anti-abortion activists have been “outraged” at the inaction during President Donald Trump’s second term, according to TPM.
The outlet laid out what it viewed the DOJ’s filing to mean.
“This filing is as much a signal to the anti-abortion movement as it is an attempt to get Louisiana to cool it until the midterms are safely finished and the FDA can do the dirty work itself,” it wrote.