On May 2nd, POLITICO obtained a leaked initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that sent shockwaves around the country. The document revealed that the Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which granted a pregnant woman's liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction since 1973.

POLITICO notes that no draft decision in the modern history of the court has been disclosed publicly while a case was still pending. Moreover, the document, labeled as a first draft of the majority opinion, includes a notation that it was circulated among the justices on Feb. 10.

The document labeled as “Opinion of the Court” reads as follows: “We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division.”

While Americans digested the potential horrifying consequences of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade with rage and despair, many people met the news through an emotional and deeply personal lens. Women who had had abortions or given children up for adoption took it to social media to share what challenges they would have faced if the court struck down the Roe v. Wade decision to grant abortion rights.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice John Roberts says the Supreme Court will investigate the release of a draft opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade. He called the incident "a singular and egregious breach" of trust. In a statement on Tuesday, Roberts commented: "This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here. I have directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the source of the leak."

"To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed," Roberts said. "The work of the Court will not be affected in any way. We at the Court are blessed to have a workforce–permanent employees and law clerks alike–intensely loyal to the institution and dedicated to the rule of law. Court employees have an exemplary and important tradition of respecting the confidentiality of the judicial process and upholding the trust of the Court."

Moreover, the court's public affairs office confirmed the document is indeed "authentic." However, the office added that "it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case."

On Tuesday, following POLITICO’s report, President Joe Biden called a woman's right to have an abortion "fundamental.” He urged Congress to pass legislation codifying Roe, which was decided in 1973. Biden stated: “Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned.”