Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday mentioned he was open to supporting rules on contraception and that his marketing campaign would launch a coverage on the difficulty “very shortly,” feedback that he later mentioned had been misinterpreted.
The feedback, made throughout an interview with a Pittsburgh tv station, prompt {that a} future Trump administration would possibly take into account imposing mandates or supporting state restrictions on such extremely private selections as whether or not girls can have entry to contraception. Throughout an interview with KDKA Information, Trump was requested, “Do you assist any restrictions on an individual’s proper to contraception?”
“We’re that and I’m going to have a coverage on that very shortly,” Trump responded, in line with a video of the interview that was briefly posted on-line earlier than it was imagined to air, then taken down.
The doubtless Republican presidential nominee was pressed in a follow-up query if that meant he might wish to assist some restrictions on contraception.
“Issues actually do have rather a lot to do with the states, and a few states are going to have completely different coverage than others,” Trump responded, earlier than repeating that he could be releasing “a really complete coverage” on the difficulty.
Trump beforehand mentioned he would launch a coverage about use of the abortion drugs in a Time journal interview printed three weeks in the past, although he has but to take action. That is the primary time Trump has prompt he would have a coverage on contraception because the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturned a nationwide proper to abortion two years in the past, touching off political battles about facets of reproductive rights, together with contraception and in vitro fertilization.
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Responding later to media reviews of his interview, Trump mentioned on his social media platform Fact Social that he “has by no means and can by no means” advocate for proscribing contraception and different contraceptives. Even so, the Biden marketing campaign was fast to grab on the interview.
“Girls throughout the nation are already affected by Donald Trump’s post-Roe nightmare, and if he wins a second time period, it’s clear he desires to go even additional by proscribing entry to contraception and emergency contraceptives,” Biden-Harris spokesperson Sarafina Chitika mentioned in an announcement.
Advocates on either side of the abortion debate have lengthy pressed Trump on the essential query of whether or not he would permit girls to entry the abortion capsule mifepristone through the mail. He has but to clarify his views on the Comstock Act, a nineteenth century regulation that has been revived by anti-abortion teams looking for to dam the mailing of mifepristone and different abortion medicines.
When requested throughout an April 12 interview with Time journal for his views on the Comstock Act and the mailing of abortion drugs, the previous president promised to make an announcement on the difficulty within the subsequent 14 days, saying “I really feel very strongly about it. I truly suppose it’s an important challenge.”
Throughout an April 27 follow-up interview, Trump mentioned he would announce his stance “over the following week or two.” It’s now been three weeks because the interviews had been printed on April 30 and over 5 weeks because the GOP front-runner advised the journal he would launch an announcement.
When requested by The Related Press for an replace on when the announcement could be made, marketing campaign officers reiterated an announcement that reaffirms Trump’s technique of deferring to particular person states on abortion. They didn’t give an up to date timeline for a coverage assertion on remedy abortion.
“President Trump has lengthy been constant in supporting the rights of states to make selections on abortion,” the assertion mentioned.
Biden marketing campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt mentioned Trump’s allies have already “outlined precisely how they plan to get rid of abortion entry nationwide with or with out Congress.”
“We all know Trump’s playbook as a result of we’ve seen it,” she mentioned in an announcement. “Trump overturned Roe, brags about it continually, and is pleased with the horrific actuality the place girls’s lives are in danger, medical doctors are threatened with jail time, and IVF and contraception entry are below assault.”
Trump has typically relied on the tactic of promising an announcement on a serious coverage stance in “two weeks” however not delivering, together with on points reminiscent of minimal wage, tax coverage and infrastructure.
Abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion teams alike have expressed frustration with the delay.
“I think about the occasions in New York Metropolis have been very distracting, however we’re awaiting an announcement,” mentioned Kristi Hamrick, spokesperson for the anti-abortion group College students for Life, referring to the previous president’s hush cash trial.
Hamrick mentioned the group has been talking with Trump’s staff about what may be carried out to limit abortion at a federal stage.
Mini Timmaraju, president of the abortion rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, pointed to the GOP’s Challenge 2025 playbook — a blueprint for tactics to reshape the federal authorities within the occasion of a Republican presidential win in 2024. The Comstock Act shouldn’t be explicitly talked about within the plan, but it surely requires reversing FDA approval of mifepristone and proscribing “mail order abortions.”
“Trump will say no matter he desires, however what actually issues is what he did — and that’s to facilitate ending the constitutional proper to abortion and set state abortion bans into movement,” she mentioned.
Not less than 22 states require abortion remedy to be delivered in individual both by prohibiting mail supply or requiring remedy to be taken in a health care provider’s workplace, although such legal guidelines have been quickly blocked from going into impact in Kentucky, Montana and Ohio amid authorized battles, in line with the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures.
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Related Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Worth in New York contributed to this report.
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The Related Press receives assist from a number of non-public foundations to reinforce its explanatory protection of elections and democracy. See extra about AP’s democracy initiative right here. The AP is solely chargeable for all content material.
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