Donald Trump said Sunday he supported a countrywide abortion ban after a certain number of weeks, with exceptions—but did not disclose how many weeks, keeping his stance on a top US election topic ambiguous.
As he talked to “Fox News Sunday” days after becoming the likely Republican contender for the November presidential election, the former president stated that he would “soon” release a suggestion on how many weeks a ban should be enacted.
Trump was questioned about a February New York Times piece claiming that he told advisers he supported the notion of a 16-week national abortion ban — with exceptions for rape, incest, or the mother’s health — but was unwilling to discuss it publicly for fear of alienating socially conservative voters.
He did not tell Fox at what point in a pregnancy he thinks abortions should be prohibited, saying only that “in a number of weeks I’ll be coming out with a recommendation.”
“I think the recommendation will be accepted,” Trump said, adding he was delighted that his three Supreme Court choices had changed the court’s balance rightward, allowing it in 2022 to terminate constitutionally mandated abortion rights.
The Supreme Court’s shocking decision left states to enact their own abortion regulations. Some states have implemented near-total prohibitions, while others, such as Maryland, have approved legislation to protect abortion rights. Many conservatives believe a national ban might overturn laws like Maryland’s.
Biden and Democrats have been heavily involved in the matter, repeatedly pointing out that polls show that the majority of Americans oppose a federal ban, and Trump suggested Sunday that he was aware of the political risks.
“I think you have to have the three exceptions,” he told me.
“You have to follow your heart. But you also have to get elected, okay. And if you don’t have the three exceptions, I believe it’s quite difficult to get elected.”
He pointed out that in the 2022 midterm elections in Pennsylvania, where exit surveys indicated abortion to be the biggest issue, a Republican governor candidate who was staunchly opposed to abortion rights was defeated.
Republican defeats in other off-year races, including in traditionally conservative areas like Kansas, have been related to the abortion debate.
Trump pointed out that abortion bans after a certain number of weeks exist in other nations, namely France and other European countries.
His former vice president, Mike Pence, said Sunday that he believed Trump erred in not taking a stronger anti-abortion stance during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Pence, an evangelical Christian who said Friday that he will not endorse his former employer, told CBS that he would like to see the Republican nominee support a ban for at least 15 weeks.