Former President Donald Trump, whose position on abortion has been unclear for the better part of his campaign, said Monday that abortion access should be decided on a state-to-state basis and punted on what he believes the cutoff should be.
In a much-anticipated video posted to Truth Social on Monday morning, Trump boasted about getting Roe v. Wade overturned and said that because of the ruling, abortion is a state’s issue and that each state should decide its own law “by vote or legislation or perhaps both.”
“Whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” Trump said. “In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different. 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.”
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Leaving the issue up to the states and not taking a position on any weekly cutoff for a federal abortion ban is sure to anger conservatives who want a federal abortion ban, and it will likely upset those who support abortion rights but are living in a state where it is banned.
However, Trump made clear that he supported exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother—an exception many states do not have enshrined into law.
“I am strongly in favor of exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. You must follow your heart on this issue,” he said.
At times, the former president has teased the possibility of supporting a federal abortion ban, saying in a March radio interview that a lot of “people are agreeing on 15 [weeks] and I’m thinking in terms of that.” Still, he refused to give a firm position.
But after Florida’s six-week abortion ban was implemented last week and abortion rights were put on the state’s November ballot, Trump told reporters he would be making a statement on it in the coming weeks. President Joe Biden responded by posting a picture of Trump bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade saying, “You already made your statement, Donald.”
Now Trump’s position is to punt it to the states and leave it to them to decide how abortion is handled on a state-by-state basis.
“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 of each state, was really something. Now it’s up to the states to do the right thing,” Trump said.
Soon after the former president’s announcement Monday morning, the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List released a statement saying it is “deeply disappointed” in Trump’s position. However, it said it will continue to work to defeat Biden in November.
“Saying the issue is ‘back to the states’ cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If successful, they will wipe out states’ rights,” the group said.
After Trump’s announcement, Biden released a scathing assessment of the former president’s position on abortion, reiterating that he alone is responsible for Roe v. Wade being overturned and “for creating the cruelty and the chaos that has enveloped America since the Dobbs decision.”
Trump’s belief that abortion is solely a state’s issue is nonsense, Biden added, and if Trump is re-elected, a national abortion ban will follow.
“Let there be no illusion. If Donald Trump is elected and the MAGA Republicans in Congress put a national abortion ban on the Resolute Desk, Trump will sign it into law,” Biden said.
