Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Florida’s six-week limit on abortion is “too short.”
During an interview on Thursday with NBC Politics, the former president was asked if he plans to support a new amendment on the Sunshine State’s ballot this November that prohibits abortion restrictions. The six-week ban went into effect on May 1.
“I think the six-week is too short, it has to be more time,” Trump said. “And I’ve told them that I want more weeks.”
When asked if he would support the amendment in his home state, he said, “I am gonna be voting that we need more than six weeks.”
“Just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated – for years – 52 years,” he added. “I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path.” "I think the six week is too short, there has to be more time," former President Trump says how he'll vote on an abortion rights amendment in Florida. pic.twitter.com/rQAdPtW9i0
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) August 29, 2024
Natasha Sutherland, a spokesperson for the Amendment 4 campaign, responded to Trump’s comments by calling their initiative “a nonpartisan issue.”
“The overwhelming majority of Floridians do not want the government making decisions for them when it comes to something as personal and complicated as pregnancy,” she wrote, per POLITICO. “As doctors risk prison just to treat the patient in front of them and women in dangerous circumstances lose access to lifesaving care, Floridians understand the necessity of Amendment 4.”
Taryn Fenske, a spokesperson for Vote No on 4, didn’t address the implication that Trump is supportive of the measure but shifted focused to his position.
“Donald Trump has previously stated that late-term abortions where a baby can feel pain should never be permitted, and he’s always stood up for parents’ rights,” she said, according to the outlet. “Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, eliminate parental consent, and open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions. It’s extreme and must be defeated.”
Trump previously drew criticism from conservatives and liberals when he announced his official position on abortion in April.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both,” he said at the time. “And whatever they decide must be the law of the land and, in this case, the law of the state.”
“At the end of the day, it’s all about will of the people,” he added. “That’s where we are right now and that’s what we want: will of the people.”
Though the former president has maintained a relatively moderate position on abortion, Vice President Kamala Harris insists he will impose a federal ban on abortion, if elected.
“If Donald Trump wins, he will not only sign an abortion ban—he also intends to create a national anti-abortion coordinator, forcing states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions,” she said in a Thursday evening X post.
A previous post from Harris that made a similar claim in July was issued a community note that stated, “President Trump has repeatedly said he will not sign a national abortion ban.” The note included links to CNN, the BBC, the Associated Press, The New York Times, and posts from Trump on Truth Social claiming otherwise.
Trump’s comments about abortion arrive after a week ignited by infighting among conservatives, with ardent anti-abortion advocates threatening to withdraw support for the Republican presidential hopeful.
The most recent infighting appears to have begun when Lila Rose, the founder and president of Live Action, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the lives of unborn children, shared a post Monday criticizing the GOP presidential candidates.
Rose shared a clip from a recent Meet the Press interview where Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance reiterates that his running mate’s position is to allow the issue to be decided at the state level.
When pressed, Vance said, “I think he would” veto any kind of federal abortion ban that landed on his desk.
“If you don’t stand for pro-life principles, you don’t get pro-life votes,” Rose wrote in her post, to which she added extremely graphic video footage of aborted babies. If you don’t stand for pro-life principles, you don’t get pro-life votes. https://t.co/FF4ITeFWkp
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) August 26, 2024
Many prominent figures on X took Rose to task for potentially influencing conservatives to withhold their vote for Trump in November.
“How dare you suppress voter turnout,” replied commentator Ashley St. Clair. “What the hell do you think a Harris Administration would look like for your cause?”
She added: “President Trump would veto a federal abortion ban for the same reason the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade— unconstitutional! You are either a deliberate bad actor or severely stupid.”
St. Clair then criticized Rose for the $271,000 salary she receives as Live Action’s president.
“You could theoretically buy 56 million diapers with the $14 million in revenue wasted at Lila Rose’s ‘pro life’ org,” St. Clair wrote. “With her $271,000 salary, you could buy a million diapers a year[.] But please tell me how much good their galas & Facebook ads are doing!”
In a full statement to SCNR News, Live Action noted that for many years, Rose received little or no salary.
"The board is thankful that they can now fund a salary that is reasonable and in line with similar organizations in size and work for her skill and talent," an excerpt from the emailed statement said. "Live Action is proud to provide competitive non-profit salaries to attract the best talent. Lila’s compensation is set at the sole discretion of an independent board, which takes into consideration the salaries of other organization leaders from non-profits of comparable size to ensure it is fair."
The organization said Lila’s compensation increased from $161,712 in 2020 to $234,794 in 2021 "after an annual review and independent vote" by the nonprofit's board.
"In that same time frame, the staff size, organizational reach, and annual budget also increased, in addition to internal policies to ensure all staff salaries were competitive with other nonprofits of similar size. Live Action has tripled in both budget and educational impact over the last five years," the statement added.
In a Thursday post, Rose accused St. Clair of “repeatedly” lying about her and her organization.
“Your ad hominem attacks and refusal to engage my actual position here do nothing to win people over to the candidate that you support,” Rose said.
She added: “I hope you support fully banning the murder of children. I hope to support a pro-life Trump. Could you please ask President Trump to stop supporting abortion and instead support life? It may help for him to hear it from a passionate and influential supporter like you.”
In an interview with POLITICO published Thursday, Rose suggested that a write-in candidate may be an option for voters who share her concerns.
“This idea that you are morally responsible to vote against Kamala Harris by voting for someone like Donald Trump — I don’t buy that,” she said. “I think the bottom line is that it’s our responsibility to advocate for the issues and the causes we believe in, and to urge candidates, if they want our vote, to stand for what is right.”
According to FiveThirtyEight, Harris currently has a 3.4-point lead with 47.2 percent compared to Trump’s 43.8 percent.
