Former President Donald Trump wants abortion limits to be left to the states, wading into a thorny issue as he tries to bring independents to his side without alienating pro-life voters.
Mr. Trump said allowing state legislatures or a direct vote on the ballot would represent the “will of the people.”
“Whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case, the law of the state,” Mr. Trump said Monday morning in Truth Social video. “Many states will be different.”
Mr. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, announced his stance after months of consideration about whether to support a federal ban after a specific number of weeks into a pregnancy.
The Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the broad right to abortion in Roe v. Wade, allowing states to set limits without their borders. Mr. Trump appointed three of the justices who made the landmark ruling possible.
Many red states imposed strict limits on abortion with few exceptions, or set a limit of six weeks, 15 weeks or another threshold.
Mr. Trump reportedly mulled a federal limit of 15 or 16 weeks, though his announcement effectively leaves the status quo.
His position irked some of the conservative voters he needs to win back the White House. Pro-life groups had urged Mr. Trump to take a strong stand on federal limits.
“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “Saying the issue is ‘back to the states’ cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If successful, they will wipe out states’ rights.”
At the same time, Ms. Dannenfelser said her group will “work tirelessly to defeat President Biden and extreme congressional Democrats.”
Mr. Trump and his GOP allies are keenly aware that Democrats want to use limits on reproductive choice as a weapon against Mr. Trump, who is trying to grow his support beyond his ardent base.
Vice President Kamala Harris is crisscrossing the nation to highlight GOP positions on abortion as an attack on fundamental freedoms.
In his video, Mr. Trump said Democrats are the extreme ones, supporting abortion through the full term.
Mr. Trump praised, by name, the right-leaning justices who voted to overturn Roe.
“Now it’s up to the states to do the right thing,” he said.
Mr. Trump said he is in favor of exceptions to limits in case of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
“You must follow your heart on this issue but, remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, save our country,” Mr. Trump said.
In his statement, Mr. Trump stressed the need to keep in vitro fertilization treatments for couples who are trying to have a baby.
An Alabama court ruling opened the door to wrongful death suits in situations where frozen embryos are destroyed, producing a chilling effect in the IVF sector and putting pro-life Republicans in a tough spot.
The state legislature scrambled to pass a bill that extends immunity to doctors involved in IVF procedures.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about [the] will of the people,” Mr. Trump said. “That’s where we are right now and that’s what we want.”