Trump Says Republican Abortion Rhetoric Hurts His Party
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump said Republican messaging around abortion restrictions has hurt the party, highlighting a liability that contributed to fewer-than-anticipated GOP wins in the 2022 midterm congressional elections and has the potential to be a drag in November.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Billionaire-Friendly Modi Humbled by Indians Who Make $4 a Day
A Struggling Business Park Deals a Blow to Singapore's Regional Hub Ambitions
‘Everything Is Not Going to Be OK’ in Private Equity, Apollo’s Co-President Says
“I think the Republican Party has done an amazing job in certain ways, but they’ve never understood how to talk about it,” Trump said about abortion in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity Wednesday. “It’s hurt the Republican Party, it’s hurt some people. Exceptions is very important.”
“I wish that Republicans could talk about it correctly and if they would, they’d see it’s a very different issue,” he added.
Trump has argued that Republicans must take a more moderate stance on abortion in order to get elected. That’s put him at odds with evangelical Christians within the party who have championed federal abortion bans and restrictive state-level policies in the wake of a 2022 Supreme Court ruling to strike down the Roe v. Wade decision, which protected abortion access nationwide for nearly half a century.
The presumptive Republican nominee has said he wants to leave the issue to the states, calling the state-level decisions a “beautiful thing to watch.” He acknowledged, however, that Democratic-led states could have policies that differ from more conservative states.
Trump on Wednesday reiterated his stance to allow exceptions for women seeking abortions in cases involving rape, incest and when the mother’s life is at risk. He has vowed that he would not sign a national abortion ban, but has suggested he would allow states to monitor women’s pregnancies to see if they’ve flouted local reproductive care restrictions.
Earlier: Trump Says States Should Set Abortion Limits, Exceptions
The debate over abortion access has been a political quagmire for Republicans, many of whom find their support for restrictions increasingly out-of-step with the public. The issue has divided the party, with the right-flank pushing for strict bans, while some moderates have pushed for more exceptions.
Trump and his campaign for months have tried to neutralize the issue heading into the general election. Democrats have successfully used it in elections since the Supreme Court struck down abortion protections in the Dobbs ruling. Trump nominated three conservative justices to the bench, who sided with the majority repealing the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
Democrats held onto competitive seats during the 2022 midterms by campaigning relentlessly on abortion rights. Republicans were predicting sweeping victories in Congress, but failed to flip the Senate and won a slim House majority that has led to gridlock in the lower chamber.
Earlier: Trump to Speak at CEO Meeting Weeks After Conviction
Hannity pressed Trump several times on whether he would use the judicial system to target his political opponents or the officials involved in a New York State trial, in which he was recently found guilty for falsifying business records to cover up hush-money payments to an adult film actress.
Trump denied he would do that, but said it would be “easy” to do, adding “when this election is over, based on what they’ve done, I would have every right to go after them.”
President Joe Biden’s campaign seized on those comments, saying in a statement that “Donald Trump is so consumed with personal grievance that he does not care who he hurts so long as Donald Trump benefits.”
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Sam Altman Was Bending the World to His Will Long Before OpenAI
David Sacks Tried the 2024 Alternatives. Now He’s All-In on Trump
Startup Brings New Hope to the Pursuit of Reviving Frozen Bodies
The Budget Geeks Who Helped Solve an American Economic Puzzle
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
