Donald Trump faced backfire from his own party and from anti-abortion activists after he suggested his support for easing the restrictions on the abortion procedure in Florida.
“It Has To Be More Time”
“I think the six week is too short. It has to be more time. I told them that I want more weeks,” Trump said, reported BBC
On August 29, Trump was asked in an interview with NBC News about his stance this November on the state’s ballot measure to protect abortion.
Florida banned the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion, a law that reproductive rights activists are now working to end.
“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” Trump said.
Last September, Trump criticized Florida’s six-week abortion ban, calling it a “terrible mistake” when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed it into law.
“If Donald Trump loses, today is the day he lost. The committed pro-life community could turn a blind eye, in part, to national abortion issues. But for Trump to weigh in on Florida as he did will be a bridge too far for too many.” conservative pundit Erick Erickson wrote on X.
The State Enforces A Near-Total Ban
As per the proposed amendment: “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”
The November ballot initiative aims to amend the Florida constitution to safeguard abortion access until fetal viability, around 23-25 weeks of pregnancy. As of now, the state enforces a near-total abortion ban, which challenges many women as they are unaware of their pregnancy at six weeks.
Voters cannot select a specific number of weeks for when abortion should be permitted, they can only vote “Yes” to support or “No” to reject the amendment. The Trump campaign did not respond to his position to measure, whether he would vote yes or no.
Vice-President Kamala Harris’ campaign has focused on reproductive rights while Trump projects that individual states should determine abortion policy.
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