Donald Trump, the 45th president, who is running to reclaim the White House, is responsible for appointing three antiabortion judges to the Supreme Court leading to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Since that monumental decision, Trump has not been outspoken about other abortion restrictions. His campaign spokesman, Stephen Cheung, told The Washington Post that Trump believes the Supreme Court got it right by ruling that individual states should determine whether abortion is legal or not.
But Trump suggested recently he’d be open to a national ban, telling a Manchester, N.H., television station he’s “looking at a lot of different options” when asked if he would support a 15-week national ban proposed by his ally, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.).
“We’ll get something done where everyone is going to be very satisfied,” he told ABC News’ WMUR at the end of April. “I think we’ll get it done on some level, it could be on different levels, but we’re going to get it done. I know the issue very well. I think I know the issue better than most and we will get that taken care of.”
The Texas federal judge who ruled against the abortion drug was also appointed by Trump, but the former president has not weighed in on whether he agrees with U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk ’s decision.
In a December 2022 interview with Breitbart News, Trump blamed Republican losses in the 2022 midterms on candidates’ staking out extreme abortion stances and said Republicans should allow exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. “I think if you don’t have the three exceptions, it’s almost impossible in most parts of the country to win,” Trump said.
Trump has generally dodged reporters’ questions about whether he’d support a federal abortion ban. When pressed, he instead gave himself credit for the overturning of Roe. His refusal to take a firm stance has irked some on the far right. In response to that criticism, Trump again heralded himself as the hero of the antiabortion movement.
“After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the “shock” of everyone, and for the first time put the Pro Life movement in a strong negotiating position over the Radicals that are willing to kill babies even into their 9th month, and beyond,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”
