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Former president Donald Trump repeated right-wing talking points that Democrats support execution after birth, but refused to support a national abortion ban, saying that the issue should be left to the states.
The former president finally laid out his stance on abortion rights after teasing at what his position would be for months. In a four-minute long video posted on Truth Social, Mr Trump said he was “proudly the person responsible for the end of Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that had enshrined the right to an abortion and reproductive care.
“Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights, especially since I was proudly the person responsible for something that all legal scholars both sides wanted and in fact demanded be ended: Roe vs Wade. They wanted it ended,” he said.
The former president went on to push the false claims that Democrats want abortion up to and including the ninth month of pregnancy – and “even execution after birth”.
“That’s exactly what it is. The baby is born, the baby is executed after birth,” he claimed.
This claim has been disproven on multiple occasions. A baby being executed after birth would constitute as murder, which is of course against the law in the US.
Mr Trump went on to say that he believes abortion laws should be decided by individual states – hinting that he would not implement a federal abortion ban should he take back the White House in the November election.
He thanked the six conservative Supreme Court justices – three of whom he appointed – for “having the courage for this long-fought battle to end”.
“This 50-year battle over Roe v Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, mind and votes of the people in each state – it’s really something,” he said.
Now, whatever states decide, must be the “law of the land”, he said.
“Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people,” he said.
Mr Trump said that he is “strongly in favour” of exceptions for abortion in the case of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother – but gave no indication of where he stands on what number of weeks he would support a ban.
While signalling his pride in wiping out the constitutional right to abortion – a move that has forced some women to carry unviable pregnancies to term in some states – the former president said that he is committed to supporting the availability of IVF.
“The Republican party will always support the creation of strong, thriving and healthy American families. We want to make it easier for mothers and families to have babies – not harder,” he said.
“That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatment like IVF in every state in America. Like the overwhelming majority of Americans including the vast majority of Republicans, conservatives, Christians and pro-life Americans, I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby – what could be more beautiful or better than that.”
The former president praised the Alabama legislature for passing legislation to preseve the availability of IVF in the state – coming after the state’s Supreme Court defined frozen embryos as children, forcing fertility clinics to close.
His statement comes after months of speculation and mixed messages about where he stands on abortion rights.
Last month, he signalled support for a federal 15-week abortion ban in an interview with WABC.
“The number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15, and I’m thinking in terms of that, and it’ll come out to something that’s very reasonable,” Mr Trump said. “But people are really – even hard-liners are agreeing – seems to be 15 weeks, seems to be a number that people are agreeing at.”
Earlier this year, sources told The New York Times that he had quietly expressed support for a 16-week ban – because he liked the even number. “It’s four months,” Mr Trump allegedly said.