Published April 8, 2024
Former President Donald Trump said Monday that abortion rights should be left to the states, offering his clearest stance yet on one of the most delicate and contentious issues in American politics.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everyone wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social account.
“Many states will be different,” Trump continued. “Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.”
Trump had previously suggested he could support a 15-week federal ban with exceptions in the cases of incest, rape and when the life of the mother is in danger. However, his ultimate decision to punt the politically fraught issue to the states and not back a national ban was swiftly denounced by a major anti-abortion rights organization, which said his position did not go far enough.
In Monday’s video, Trump said he was “proudly the person responsible” for the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which he said took the issue “out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and vote of the people in each state.”
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SOURCE: www.cnn.com
RELATED: Anti-abortion groups rally behind Trump despite their disappointment
“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Published April 8, 2024
Anti-abortion rights groups are dismayed with Donald Trump for failing to endorse a national ban. But they are not abandoning him.
After a more than yearlong pressure campaign pushing the former president to call for federal restrictions on abortion, top anti-abortion groups on Monday were dealt a major blow: Trump announced he believes abortion should be regulated at the state level.
Still, within minutes of Trump’s video posting on Truth Social, the nation’s largest anti-abortion groups reiterated their commitment to supporting Trump even as they expressed disappointment with the announcement.
“With lives on the line, SBA Pro-Life America and the pro-life grassroots will work tirelessly to defeat President Biden and extreme congressional Democrats,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
The statements are the latest demonstration of Trump’s grip on the Republican party, which has stuck by him even when his policies and pronouncements deviate from GOP orthodoxy. The former president has sought to neutralize abortion as a campaign issue after Democrats have used it successfully across the country in local and national elections. He has repeatedly said winning the 2024 election is paramount, and he reminded voters again on Monday of the stakes.
