Donald Trump Reveals Abortion Plan as He Faces Problem in Florida

Former President Donald Trump has revealed how he would approach abortion rights if he prevails against President Joe Biden in the November presidential election.

Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said his administration would largely allow individual states to craft their own policies surrounding reproductive rights in a video posted to Truth Social Monday morning, noting that states will be "different" on the issue.

His video message about abortion came a week after a judge ruled to allow abortion rights to appear as a constitutional amendment on the Florida general election ballot. It's possible the measure could drive pro-abortion rights voters to the poll, a potential complication for Trump.

The Context

Trump has cast himself as an anti-abortion politician, appointing several justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that for decades guaranteed abortion rights across the country. Once the Court overruled the case in June 2022, conservative-leaning states across the country quickly moved to roll back abortion rights.

This came at a cost for Republicans as Democratic voters flocked to the polls that November during the midterm elections, blunting GOP gains despite hopes of a "red wave" fueled by Biden's unpopularity. Since then, Democrats have continued to see success in special elections, while polls suggest abortion remains a challenging issue for Republicans.

What We Know

Trump said his administration would opt to leave the matter to individual states, rather than take a federal approach to reproductive rights on Monday.

"My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by votes or legislature or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case, the law of the state," he said.

Many states will have a "different number of weeks" in which they allow the medical procedure, and some will have "more conservative" policies than others, Trump said, adding that individuals must "follow" their heart, religion or faith on the issue.

He reiterated that he is "strongly in favor" of exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

"At the end of the day, it's all about the will of the people," he said.

In that video, Trump also recalled his support for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), as Republicans' stance on the procedure has come under scrutiny following a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that frozen embryos have the same legal rights as children. The legislature later passed a bill protecting IVF treatments.

Meanwhile, the state of Florida has emerged as the latest abortion battleground. On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing the state's abortion restrictions to stay in place while also allowing a ballot question about reproductive rights to appear on the ballot in November. This could create a headache for Trump in the Republican-trending state he won in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, according to experts.

Newsweek reached out to Trump's campaign for comment via email.

Views

Joshua Sandman, professor emeritus at the University of New Haven, told Newsweek on Monday that Trump's statement is "very smart."

"It is calculated to take a position on these issues that appeal to moderate and independent voters who are concerned about access to IVF treatment and access to abortion for compelling reasons (incest, rape, life and health of mother). He also stressed states' rights in determining these issues. He identified his position with President Ronald Reagan and traditional Republicans," he said.

He also noted that some social conservatives may not be happy with his stance, but that they "have no other place to go," and his comments are unlikely to affect their support.

Trump's abortion policy drew several reactions on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Trump's abortion position is leave it up to the states, voters and lawmakers, and some will opt for tighter restrictions and others for looser ones. No mention of 15 or 16 weeks, as he had talked up with me and others. Perhaps he realized any specific number would be divisive," conservative radio host Howard Kurtz posted.

Democratic political strategist Simon Rosenberg wrote: "On abortion, Trump goes from a catastrophic, election losing position to a merely horrific, indefensible one. And what remains true today is that Trump is still singularly responsible for stripping the rights and freedoms away from more than half the population."

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump communications aide and co-host of The View, wrote, "Hate to say it- but smart by Trump on abortion. Allows him to punt to Govs while maintaining "conservative" position that it's up to states. He'll try to create distance on ultra restrictive state laws. Smarter than calling for 15 weeks, which wd be seen as a betrayal by Cons & represented as a 'federal ban' by Dems."

What's Next?

Abortion is expected to remain a key issue during the 2024 presidential campaign, with Democrats planning to attack Trump over his record on the matter.

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll from February underscored the challenge faced by Trump and Republicans.

The survey, conducted among 1,316 Americans from February 20 to 28, found that 55 percent of voters would support the federal government passing laws to protect abortion nationwide, while only 19 percent want to see the federal government ban abortion across the country.

Update 4/8/2024 8:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update 4/8/2024 8:28 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Correction: 4/8/2024 8:57 a.m. ET: This was updated to reflect the spelling of Alyssa Farah Griffin.

Update 4/8/2024 1:06 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Sandman.