Donald Trump Is Discussing National 16-Week Abortion Ban: Report

Former President Donald Trump speaks to the press in New York City on Feb. 15, 2024.
ANGELA WEISS by way of Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump has mentioned supporting a nationwide 16-week abortion ban, in line with a Friday report from The New York Times.

Trump reportedly mentioned that if he have been to win the 2024 presidential election, he would assist a 16-week abortion ban nationwide with exceptions for rape, incest and the lifetime of the pregnant particular person, in line with two individuals near Trump who spoke with the Times. The concept of a 16-week ban falls out of line with abortion restrictions that different conservatives have pushed on the state degree, together with six-week and 15-week abortion bans.

The former president reportedly mentioned in a personal dialog shared with the Times that he likes the thought of a 16-week federal ban as a result of it’s an “even” 4 months. He additionally reportedly mentioned that he won’t take into account any vice presidential candidate who doesn’t assist exceptions for rape, incest or lifetime of the mom.

The Trump marketing campaign denied the Times’ report, calling it “fake news” in a press launch.

“As President Trump has stated, he would sit down with both sides and negotiate a deal that everyone will be happy with,” mentioned Karoline Leavitt, a press secretary for the Trump marketing campaign.

“President Trump appointed strong Constitutionalist federal judges and Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and sent the decision back to the states, which others have tried to do for over 50 years,” Leavitt mentioned. “Joe Biden and virtually every Democrat in Congress is on the record supporting radical on-demand abortion up until the moment of birth, and after birth, as well as using American tax dollars to fund the killing of the most vulnerable.”

Trump has beforehand shied away from discussing abortion, doubtless in an try and attraction to a wider group of voters. Big Republican losses prior to now two years have signaled that excessive anti-abortion insurance policies are usually not fashionable on a nationwide degree. Trump himself has even attributed his occasion’s setbacks within the 2022 midterms to candidates’ excessive stances on abortion.

“We strongly agree with President Trump on protecting babies from abortion violence at 16 weeks when they feel pain,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the nationwide anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, mentioned in a Friday assertion.

Nearly 75% of voters in a 2023 Change Research survey mentioned that latest abortion restrictions have gone too far, together with 51% of those that voted for Trump in 2020.

“We all knew exactly who Donald Trump was—his actions proved it. He is a liar, and this confirms Trump can and will ban abortion nationwide, even without the support of Congress,” learn a press release from Mini Timmaraju, the president of Reproductive Freedom for All, previously NARAL.

“He will try to hide his intent and spin his own words, but we won’t let him get away with it. … It’s up to us to return Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to the White House so we can restore our right to abortion and expand access.”