A major hint has dropped regarding former President Donald Trump’s position on a key issue. The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump is privately expressing support for a Republican compromise that would limit abortion in a manner that aligns with the views of swing voters.
The paper explained that Trump, who is conscious of the electoral backlash to strict abortion bans that have passed GOP legislatures, supports a 16-week ban with exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother:
Mr. Trump has studiously avoided taking a clear position on restrictions to abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the middle of 2022, galvanizing Democrats ahead of the midterm elections that year. He has said in private that he wants to wait until the Republican presidential primary contest is over to publicly discuss his views, because he doesn’t want to risk alienating social conservatives before he has secured the nomination, the two people said.
Mr. Trump has approached abortion transactionally since becoming a candidate in 2015, and his current private discussions reflect that same approach.
One thing Mr. Trump likes about a 16-week federal ban on abortions is that it’s a round number. “Know what I like about 16?” Mr. Trump told one of these people, who was given anonymity to describe a private conversation. “It’s even. It’s four months.”
When discussing prospective vice-presidential candidates, Mr. Trump often asks whether they are “OK on abortion.” He is instantly dismissive when he hears that a Republican doesn’t support “the three exceptions.” He tells advisers that Republicans will keep losing elections with that position.
When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Trump reportedly told his advisers that the ruling would hurt Republicans. Since then, his belief that abortion is primarily responsible for recent GOP defeats has solidified.
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