In a significant development, former President Donald Trump articulated his most explicit position on the contentious issue of abortion rights on Monday. He advocated for the decision-making power to be vested in the states, a subject that has long been a hotbed of debate in American politics.
Trump, in a video shared on his Truth Social account, stated, “Now that we have abortion where everyone 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 further added, “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.”
Previously, Trump had hinted at supporting a 15-week federal ban with exceptions for cases of incest, rape, and when the mother’s life is at risk. However, his recent decision to delegate this politically sensitive issue to the states, rather than endorsing a national ban, was quickly criticized by a prominent anti-abortion rights organization, arguing his position did not go far enough.
In the video, Trump claimed credit for the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, stating it took the issue “out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and vote of the people in each state.” He did not specify the number of weeks into a pregnancy at which he thought it would be appropriate to ban abortion but reiterated his support for exceptions.
Trump’s video drew immediate criticism from leading anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which has set a 15-week national ban as its standard for Republican candidates in the presidential primary. Marjorie Dannenfelser, the group’s president, expressed deep disappointment in Trump’s position, advocating for national protections and advocacy against the brutality of the abortion industry.
Trump also made a false claim in his video that “all legal scholars, both sides” wanted Roe v. Wade terminated and that we now have “abortion where everybody wanted it, from a legal standpoint.” This statement contradicts the views of many scholars who support abortion rights and a clear majority of Americans in opinion polls, who did not support the overturning of the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized the procedure nationwide.
This story has been updated with additional information. Contributions to this report were made by CNN’s Alayna Treene and Steve Contorno.