'Horrifying decision': Obamas blast Supreme Court for overturning Roe

Moments after the U.S. Supreme Court released its decision overturning Roe v. Wade, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama issued scathing statements on Friday blasting the ruling.

“Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent,” the former president tweeted, “it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologue — attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.”

“For more than a month, we’ve known this day was coming,” he added, referring to the leak of a majority draft opinion that suggested the court was ready to strip away abortion rights. “But that doesn’t make it any less devastating.”

In a lengthy statement, Michelle Obama said she was “heartbroken.”

“I am heartbroken for people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies,” the former first lady said. “I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land — a time when women risked losing their lives getting illegal abortions. A time when the government denied women control over their reproductive functions, forced them to move forward with pregnancies they didn’t want, and then abandoned them once their babies were born."

“When we don’t understand our history, we are doomed to repeat its mistakes. In this country, our futures are tied together in a delicate tapestry that we each have a hand in making,” she continued. “Too often, cynicism or indifference makes us feel like we don't have a say in weaving it, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The more we allow pessimism to push us further into helplessness, the less we will be empowered to help create the kind of country we want to live in.

“This horrifying decision will have devastating consequences, and it must be a wake-up call, especially to the young people who will bear its burden,” she said. “I know this is not the future you chose for your generation — but if you give up now, you will inherit a country that does not resemble you or any of the values you believe in.”

She added: “Our hearts may be broken today, but tomorrow, we’ve got to get up and find the courage to keep working towards creating the most just America we all deserve. We have so much left to push for, to rally for, to speak for — and I know we can do this together.”