Former US President Donald Trump stated on Monday (Apr 8) that he believes that the decision regarding abortion rights should be given to the US states, but did not address his view on a nationwide abortion ban.
In a video broadcast on his social media platform, Truth Social, the likely Republican presidential candidate addressed one of the most divisive issues in American politics months before the impending November elections.
Trump has previously expressed support for a 15-week federal ban, with exceptions for rape and incest to safeguard the mother’s life. He also expressed his support for the availability of in vitro fertilization (IVF).
“My view is now that we have an abortion where everybody 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,” he said
He also stated that several states will be “different” and have “different numbers of weeks,” with some being more conservative than others. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the people’s will,” Trump remarked.
Trump made no mention of a national ban on abortions after a set number of weeks of pregnancy
However, the likely Republican presidential nominee made no mention of a national ban on abortions after a set number of weeks of pregnancy.
In his video on Monday, the former president also claimed responsibility for overturning the 1973 landmark Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade, which effectively ended the constitutional right to abortion.
Following the reversal of the five-decade-old judgment, more than a dozen states have banned or severely restricted women’s access to safe and legal abortion.
“This 50-year battle over Roe v. Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and votes of the people in each state. It was something. Now it’s up to the states to do the right thing,” said Trump.
Notably, the court’s decision to overrule the landmark ruling sparked voter outrage and hampered Republican advances in numerous states during the 2022 midterm elections.
Biden’s stance
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has made his predecessor’s and Republicans’ opposition to abortion rights a central theme of his re-election campaign.
“Donald Trump is endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions. And he’s bragging about his role in creating this hellscape,” Ammar Moussa, director of fast response for the Biden campaign, posted on X.
Earlier this month, Biden denounced a Florida Supreme Court decision that permits a six-week ban on abortion to take effect. On April 1, the state’s highest court upheld an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy.