By MICHELLE L. PRICE (Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump hinted on Tuesday that he would back a nationwide ban on abortions at around 15 weeks of pregnancy, expressing support for a specific restriction on the procedure for the first time.
The former Republican president has claimed responsibility for nullifying the federally guaranteed right to abortion by appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. As he runs for the presidency for the third time, Trump has refrained from endorsing any specific limit on abortion, cautioning that it could have negative political consequences. Instead, he has suggested that he would “negotiate” a policy on abortion that would allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and to protect the mother's life.
However, in a radio interview on Tuesday, Trump criticized Democrats for not supporting a ban that would restrict abortions in states where the procedure is still allowed.
“We’re going to come up with a time — and maybe we could bring the country together on that issue,” Trump said during his call to the “Sid & Friends in the Morning” show on WABC.
Trump went on to say: “The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I’m thinking in terms of that. And it’ll come out to something that’s very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at.”
At the same time, Trump appeared to indicate hesitance toward a federal ban.
“Everybody agrees — you’ve heard this for years — all the legal scholars on both sides agree: It’s a state issue. It shouldn’t be a federal issue, it’s a state issue,” he said.
Last month, Trump’s campaign dismissed reports that he privately supported a ban on abortion after 16 weeks of pregnancy, calling the report “fake news.” The campaign did not provide details on Trump’s plans, only stating that he intended to “negotiate a deal” on abortion.
Later Tuesday, after casting his ballot in Florida’s Republican presidential primary, Trump was asked by a reporter about a ban on abortions at 16 weeks and said, “We’ll be talking about that soon.”
Abortion rights have been a polarizing issue for voters in recent years, and Democrats and President Joe Biden’s campaign are getting ready to highlight the issue as a clear distinction from Trump in the 2024 election.
Polls have consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal during the early stages of pregnancy. About half of U.S. adults said abortions should be allowed at the 15-week mark, according to a poll conducted last June by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
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