Throughout his political career, Donald Trump has had a complicated relationship with the issue of abortion. From initially stating he was pro-choice in 2000 to evolving his stance to pro-life during his presidential campaign in 2016, Trump has shifted his position seemingly to match the politics of the voters he was trying to win over. He credited his change of heart to seeing the positive impact of a child born to his friends who was almost aborted, leading him to become a vocal advocate for anti-abortion policies as he sought the Republican nomination for president.
As Trump marched toward the Republican nomination, his messaging on abortion shifted between appealing to general election voters and appeasing conservative hardliners. His comments on Planned Parenthood showcased these contradictions, as he praised the organization’s work for women while also vowing not to fund them due to their abortion services. Trump’s wavering stance on punishment for women who undergo abortions further highlighted his inconsistencies, leading to backlash and subsequent backtracking on his statements.
During his presidency, Trump made significant moves to restrict abortion access, signing memorandums and bills that blocked federal funding for organizations providing abortion services. He vowed to appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court and predicted that his nominees would lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. His attendance at the March for Life rally and his passionate defense of anti-abortion policies solidified his commitment to the cause.
After the Supreme Court handed down a decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health that ended the federal right to an abortion, Trump claimed victory and attributed the outcome to his nominations to the Supreme Court. However, following Republican losses in the midterms, Trump blamed anti-abortion hardliners for those defeats, pointing out their insistence on no exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or life threatening situations.
As he considered a potential run for the presidency in 2024, Trump flirted with supporting a federal abortion ban at 15 weeks, receiving pushback from some within his campaign. Despite his previous hesitancy to take a clear stance on federal legislation to restrict abortion, Trump’s recent comments indicate a willingness to let states determine the future of abortion access in America. He suggested support for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or when a mother’s health is at risk, but stopped short of advocating for federal legislation to protect access in those scenarios.
