Donald Trump is encountering significant backlash from both anti-abortion activists and members of his own party after he suggested that he might support loosening restrictions on abortion in Florida, his home state.
During an interview with NBC News on Thursday, the Republican presidential nominee was asked how he would vote on a state ballot measure this November that aims to protect abortion rights. Florida’s current law, enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nationwide abortion rights, bans the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. This law has become a focal point for reproductive rights activists seeking to overturn it.
“I think the six weeks is too short,” Trump stated. “It has to be more time. I told them that I want more weeks.” He further added, “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” when pressed on the matter.
This isn’t the first time Trump has criticized Florida’s six-week abortion ban. Last September, he remarked that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made a “terrible mistake” by signing the ban into law. At that time, DeSantis was challenging Trump in the Republican primary.
Trump’s recent comments have deepened the divide between him and the anti-abortion movement, which plays a pivotal role in conservative U.S. politics. Conservative commentator Erick Erickson expressed his concerns on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “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.”
Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, also took to X, writing that Trump’s remarks on reproductive rights, including the six-week ban, “seem almost calculated to alienate pro-life voters.” He added, “Pro-life Christian voters are going to have to think clearly, honestly, and soberly about our challenge in this election – starting at the top of the ticket.”
The upcoming November ballot initiative proposes an amendment to the Florida constitution that would protect abortion access until the point of fetal viability, which is typically around 23-25 weeks of pregnancy. Currently, Florida enforces a near-total ban on abortion, as many women are unaware of their pregnancies at six weeks.
The proposed amendment states: “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.” Voters are faced with a simple choice: either support the amendment with a “Yes” vote or reject it with a “No.”
The Trump campaign has not clarified his position on how he will vote on this measure. Campaign spokeswoman Karoline Levitt informed the New York Times that Trump “has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida,” adding that “He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short.”
Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, attempted to clarify the campaign’s stance during an appearance on CNN on Friday, stating that the former president will “make his own announcement on how he’s going to vote” on the Florida measure, based on “his own judgment.”
Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Americans support abortion access. A July poll from the University of North Florida revealed that 69% of likely voters support the ballot measure, while 23% oppose it.
The political fallout from the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that protected abortion access nationwide, has left Trump with a challenging political dilemma that he has yet to fully address. Trump’s ascent to power was significantly aided by the religious right, a group that generally supports abortion restrictions.
During his first presidential campaign, Trump promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, a promise he fulfilled by appointing three conservative justices who ultimately voted to overturn the ruling. As a result, abortion has become a central issue in the 2024 presidential campaign, with Democrats using it to mobilize voters. Vice-President Kamala Harris, Trump’s opponent, has made reproductive rights a key focus of her campaign.
Although Trump has maintained that abortion policy should be decided by individual states, his position appears to be at odds with some members of the Republican Party. At the Republican National Convention in July, the party’s rank-and-file members supported Trump, despite his stance on abortion. Some abortion opponents continue to seek nationwide restrictions on the procedure and believe Trump is alienating their base.
Adding to Trump’s challenges is a recent proposal to have the government or insurance companies cover the costs of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Some anti-abortion and religious groups oppose IVF due to its use of embryos. In February, the Alabama state supreme court ruled that frozen embryos are legally considered children, complicating IVF treatments and fertility care in the state. The Republican Party, along with Trump, has distanced itself from this ruling, and Alabama’s Republican-controlled legislature later passed protections for IVF.
