Former President Donald Trump has found himself in a predicament when it comes to the issue of abortion. While he criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ decision to sign a six-week abortion ban as “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake,” he refused to clarify his own position on the matter during an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker.[0] When asked if he would support a 15-week federal abortion ban, Trump refused to commit and instead suggested that he would negotiate a compromise between both sides of the issue.
This reluctance to take a firm stance on abortion is reflective of the larger tension within the Republican Party. The party’s base strongly supports abortion restrictions, but the overturning of Roe v. Wade has energized Democrats and protecting abortion rights has become a key rallying cry for the party.[1] Trump’s attempt to appeal to voters in both parties highlights the difficulty Republicans face in finding a position on abortion that satisfies their base without alienating the broader public.
Abortion has always been a tricky issue for Trump and Republicans. While Trump may not have been as hard-line on the issue as some of his rivals in the presidential primaries, he played a significant role in the current state of affairs.[2] He nominated three conservative Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, which protected abortions for the first 24 weeks of pregnancy.[2]
The tension between Trump and anti-abortion activists is evident.[3] After the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, more than a dozen Republican-led states have passed laws banning or restricting abortion.[4] However, Trump’s comments criticizing the six-week abortion ban in Florida have drawn criticism from conservative activists, including the leader of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
Despite the turmoil within the Republican Party, Trump believes he achieved something significant by ending Roe v. Wade. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, he wrote, “I was able to do something that nobody thought was possible, end Roe v. Wade. For 52 years, people talked, spent vast amounts of money, but couldn’t get the job done. I got the job done!”[5] However, his claim that he ended Roe v. Wade is misleading, as the Supreme Court ruling simply returned the issue of abortion to the states.[6]
Trump’s emphasis on finding a compromise and making both sides “happy” raises questions about his commitment to protecting the sanctity of human life or enshrining a national right to abortion. It remains unclear what a compromise on abortion would look like, as there is no magical number of weeks that would satisfy both Republicans and Democrats.
The politics of abortion have shifted since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.[7] Activism by abortion-rights advocates has grown, and Democrats have capitalized on the energy in critical swing-state races.[2] Additionally, ballot initiatives seen as hostile to abortion rights have been voted down across the country, including in deep red states.[2]
In the end, Trump’s refusal to take a clear position on abortion reflects the larger challenges faced by the Republican Party. As the issue continues to divide the party, finding a stance that satisfies both the base and the broader public remains a difficult task. Only time will tell how Republicans navigate this complex issue in the upcoming 2024 race.
0. “GOP presidential hopefuls clash over abortion policy” WORLD News Group, 18 Sep. 2023, https://wng.org/sift/gop-presidential-hopefuls-clash-over-abortion-policy-1695062460
1. “Don’t fall for Trump’s absurd attempt to skirt the abortion issue” MSNBC, 19 Sep. 2023, https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-abortion-comment-position-rcna105607
2. “Trump criticizes Republicans pushing abortion bans with no exceptions: ‘You’re not going to win'” NBC News, 16 Sep. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-bring-country-together-abortion-meet-the-press-rcna105311
3. “Trump abortion backlash spotlights a Republican balancing act” BBC, 19 Sep. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66850451
4. “GOP governors who passed abortion bans hit Trump for calling restrictions ‘a terrible thing'” POLITICO, 20 Sep. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/09/19/reynolds-desantis-kemp-abortion-bans-trump-terrible-thing-00116968
5. “Trump Takes Credit for Overturn of Roe amid Blowback over Abortion Comments” National Review, 20 Sep. 2023, https://www.nationalreview.com/news/trump-takes-credit-for-overturn-of-roe-amid-blowback-over-abortion-comments
6. “Trump’s Brazen Abortion Flip-Flopping Is Actually Smart Politics” The Daily Beast, 18 Sep. 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-brazen-abortion-flip-flopping-is-actually-smart-politics
7. “Pro-Lifers Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Condemn Trump for Abortion Remarks | Opinion” Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/pro-lifers-shouldnt-afraid-condemn-trump-abortion-remarks-opinion-1828165
