
After trying to contain the damage throughout the course of the day, former President Donald Trump publicly opposed a ballot initiative that would provide access to abortion in his home state of Florida on Friday.
His declaration was made the day after he told NBC News that the six-week prohibition in Florida is “too short” and that he would not definitively support a state ballot initiative that would increase access to the operation.
Donald Trump reiterated on Friday that he couldn’t support the amendment because the “Democrats are radical” and that women need “more time” than six weeks to determine whether to have an abortion.
“I believe that six weeks is insufficient; you require more time.” In remarks to Fox News, Trump stated, “I’ve disagreed with that ever since I learned about it during the early primaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats are radical because the nine-month period is a ludicrous circumstance in which an abortion can be performed. For that reason, I will vote no.
Under the proposed amendment, abortion restrictions would be prohibited until fetal viability, or approximately the 24th week of pregnancy, with certain exceptions made to safeguard the mother’s health.
Following Trump’s interview with NBC News, anti-abortion activists reacted angrily, with some cautioning that the Republican presidential nominee was in danger of losing the backing of a significant portion of the party’s base.
According to a person with knowledge of the exchange, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the significant anti-abortion organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, called Trump on Thursday, concerned about what she saw and wanted clarification on his remarks. She was informed by Trump that he had not taken a stand on an amendment that was on the ballot in his own state this November.
According to the source, Dannenfelser informed him “There’s confusion now that you might be in favor of this, so it’s crucial that you be very explicit.” Additionally, she informed him that the amendment is “incongruent” with his stance on late-term abortion.
When questioned about his vote on the ballot initiative during the NBC News interview, Trump responded, “I will vote in favor of extending the deadline beyond six weeks.” Given that voters have a binary option under the Florida initiative, it’s unclear what he meant.
Later on Thursday, the campaign of Donald Trump released a statement stating that the former president has not yet indicated his vote on the Florida ballot item.
Anti-abortion activists, who have been instrumental in supporting Trump over his three presidential campaigns, added to the commotion in the meantime. His proposal to require insurance companies or the government to cover the cost of in vitro fertilization treatments was also met with criticism.
Theologian Albert Mohler of X stated, “The former president Trump now seems intent on undermining his pro-life advocates.” “His recent comments regarding “reproductive rights,” his disapproval of Florida’s abortion laws, and his demand for public funding of IVF appear to be nearly deliberate attempts to sway pro-life voters.”
Trump and the Republicans found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they faced the first presidential race in fifty years without the protection of abortion rights provided by Roe v. Wade. When they were able to use it to mobilize anti-abortion voters with little likelihood of it passing legislatively, the GOP was mostly united behind bills to criminalize abortion at the state and federal levels.
But as Democrats try to further capitalize on the issue, some Republicans are now afraid of a backlash from the majority of Americans who say in polls that they want abortion to be mostly or always legal. And Trump is still having trouble navigating it—he has boasted about having appointed three of the five judges on the Supreme Court who overturned Roe.
Despite the former president’s assurances to the contrary, opponents of abortion are left in a dilemma of whether to back Trump or walk away in the hopes that Republicans will win in November and continue to push for national abortion restrictions.
Conservative radio commentator Erick Erickson declared, “Should Donald Trump fail in November, it will be because of his haphazard stance on abortion that he lost the support of the pro-life community.”
The president of Students for Life, Kristan Hawkins, wrote on X on Thursday, “If this is not fixed, my phone is ringing with volunteers from @SFLAction who will no longer knock on President Trump’s doors.” Students for Life has assisted in organizing tens of thousands of anti-abortion activists, primarily on college campuses. Right now, this is the last thing we need to stop Kamala’s extreme pro-abortion views because the polls are tied.
She revealed to NBC News that the Trump campaign “personally” informed group leaders that he is unsure about the Florida bill. She stated that they anticipate him voting “no” and issued a warning that Trump’s indecisiveness on the matter will probably damage his standing with many volunteers.
It “terrible for them to learn that Republican Party leader Donald Trump is retracting his pro-life remarks,” the speaker stated. “And the idea that Republicans would betray this crucial component of the Republican Party shocks them.”
She went on, “He needs to use extreme caution when speaking.”
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida’s spokesperson, Taryn Fenske, reacted angrily to Trump’s opening remarks.
In a statement on X, Fenske said, “Donald Trump has constantly defended the rights of parents and said that late-term abortions should never be allowed when the unborn child is capable of feeling pain.” “Amendment 4 would remove parental permission, legalize late-term abortions, and allow taxpayer funding for abortions. It has to be stopped because it is severe.
Casey DeSantis, the governor’s spouse, voiced her opinion as well, stating that the proposal “would open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions” and emphasizing the importance of spreading the word to vote against it.
The campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris claimed that Trump had lied about his views on abortion and his advocacy of the IVF.
“We’re going to hold JD Vance and Donald Trump responsible for their threats to access to IVF and the disastrous effects of overturning Roe v. Wade. Thus, we will ensure that the communities that will determine this election are aware of the essential issues and choices this election presents every day leading up to Election Day, Harris spokesman Kevin Munoz told reporters on Friday. “Kamala Harris will stand up for your legal rights. Trump is going to take them away.
Following Trump’s announcement on Friday regarding his vote on the amendment, the Harris campaign released a statement claiming that Trump, if elected, “will, with or without Congress, restrict access to birth contraception, jeopardize access to fertility treatments, and outlaw abortion nationally” and “will support a ban on abortions that is so severe that it applies to many women before they even become aware of their pregnancy.”