In 1999, Trump declared, “I am strongly pro-choice”. In 2016, while campaigning for president on the Republican ticket Trump stated, “I am pro-life”.
On April 8, Trump posted a Truth Social video where he said, “I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v Wade. They wanted it ended”.
Saying all legal scholars wanted Roe v Wade ended is a lie.
According to a CNN news article on April 8, legal scholars Kimberly Mutcherson, Maya Manian and Reva Siegal commented on the issue and they, among many others, wanted Roe preserved.
In 2016 Trump was interviewed by Chris Matthews and asked if he believes in punishment for abortion? Trump stated, “The answer is yes, there has to be some form of punishment”. Matthews responded, “For the woman?” and Trump answered, yes.
Matthews then asked Trump if “the guy who gets her pregnant” is also responsible under the law? Trump stated, “I would say no”.
Now after taking personal credit for ending Roe v Wade and insisting he is pro-life, Trump contends that states should make their own laws regarding abortions instead of having a federal ban, saying on April 8, “whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case the law of the state”. He added, “It’s all about the will of the people, it’s a perfect system”.
It appears Trump is now both pro-choice and pro-life.
The next day, April 9, the State Supreme Court in Arizona upheld an 1864 law that was enacted 44 years before Arizona became a state that virtually banned all abortions and called for jail time for violators. After saying that he supports “the law of the state”, he now claims that Arizona’s law “goes too far” opposing his own position a day earlier that whatever the states decide must be the law and that this is a “perfect system”. This is now Trump’s most recent position despite his support of a federal ban on abortions after 20 weeks in 2018.
Trump either understands or is advised that in a general election asserting a national ban on abortions will likely hurt him in every state. What does Trump do? He takes both sides supporting severe abortion restrictions in some states that can result in criminal prosecution for women and doctors, and lesser abortion restrictions in other states.
Both political parties are concerned because the Republicans think Trump is retreating on a national ban and the Democrats think Trump will change his mind if he wins the election and then support a national ban.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to endorse Trump, called Trump’s position a “slap in the face.”
Political strategist Susan Del Percio stated, “Donald Trump never had a core value when it came to any type of rights. He doesn’t care about the issue of abortion. He used to be pro-choice”.
Trump is not taking this position–or any position–because he believes it or because it is based on a moral or ethical principle. He takes this position because he believes it’s best for him politically. It’s about getting the most votes and he will easily change position and cynically lie to win.
On his Truth Social video, he also stated that Democrats support “abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month … even execution after birth … the baby is born, the baby is executed after birth”.
Trump’s statement, an obvious lie that anyone could verify, plumbs the depths of political expediency at the price of ethics.
