Donald Trump's Abortion Policies Aren't as Unpopular As You Might Think

Donald Trump's position on abortion is not as unpopular as you might think, according to an exclusive poll for Newsweek which shows 40 percent of voters agree with the former president on the issue.

The survey conducted for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies in February shows that 40 percent of voters agree with Trump that abortion rights should be left to individual state governments. Comparably, 40 percent said the federal government should determine abortion laws and 20 percent said they didn't know which level of government it should be decided by.

After months of mixed signals, Trump clarified his stance on the issue Monday, a move that is likely to disappoint anti-abortion advocates who hoped he would endorse a national ban on the procedure.

"My view is 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," Trump said in a video posted to Truth Social.

"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."

Republicans have suffered a series of losses since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Voters, even in red states, have repeatedly voted against abortion referendums, and polls show that the majority of Americans believe the procedure should be legal. Even though Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee, his position on the issue has sizable support.

But respondents in the Newsweek poll who said each state should make their own abortion laws did not specify whether they had liberal or conservative views on the issue. So, while 40 percent have a similar position to Trump's, they may or may not be supportive of restricting the procedure as the former president does.

And still, 49 percent of voters said they lean towards the Democratic Party's position on abortion, while only 34 percent said they lean toward the GOP's stance. Fewer than 25 percent said they believe the procedure to be morally wrong, while 71 percent said it was morally acceptable or that it would depend on the circumstances.

Trump has bragged about appointing the conservative justices that helped the Supreme Court overturn Roe in 2022. On Monday, he said, "I want to thank the six justices, Chief Justice John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch, incredible people, for having the courage to allow this long-term, hard-fought battle to finally end."

"This 50-year battle over Roe v. Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and vote of the people in each state, it was really something," the former president said. "Now, it's up to the states to do the right thing."

Since that landmark decision, many states have enacted new restrictions on abortion. Although he championed the anti-abortion movement in the past, he has wavered on the issue since the Supreme Court ruling has hurt Republicans up and down the ballot. He had promised to make a "statement" on the issue last week after he was pressed about the six-week ban that will soon take effect in Florida.

Trump has hinted in the past about embracing a national ban somewhere around the 15- or 16-week mark. He reiterated on Monday that he supports exception in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother. He also expressed support for fertility treatments, which had been recently threatened by an Alabama Supreme Court ruling. Trump has not said what he would do should Congress send him a national ban if he becomes the president again.

"You must follow your heart on this issue," Trump said in the video. "But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly, a nation in decline."

The Newsweek poll also shows that leaving abortion laws to individual states is especially popular among Republicans and older voters.

Just over half of Americans who voted for Trump in the 2020 election backed the idea, while only 32 percent of Biden supporters said the same. Forty-nine percent of those 59 and older also thought abortion should be left to the states, while only 31 percent of Gen Z voters said the same. Comparably, 39 percent of Millennials and 35 percent of Gen X said abortion should be a state-by-state decision.

The poll was conducted on February 10 among 1,500 eligible voters in the U.S. and has a margin of error of 2.53+/-.