Former President Trump on Tuesday teased an upcoming announcement on abortion policy after a Florida court ruling upheld the state’s 15-week abortion ban and allowed an even more restrictive policy to take hold in the coming days.
Trump had been asked by a reporter after remarks in Michigan if he supported the state’s six-week abortion ban, which Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had signed into law last year.
“We’ll be making a statement next week on abortion. We’re going to make a statement next week on abortion,” Trump said, declining to directly answer the question.
The Florida court decision handed down Monday marked the latest shockwave in the fight over abortion access following the June 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.
The decision upheld the state’s 15-week ban on abortion, and it means a separate six-week ban will be triggered and will take effect May 1 — banning abortion at a point of gestation before many women know they are pregnant. DeSantis signed the six-week ban into law last year, just before he announced his presidential run.
Trump last September called the legislation a “terrible mistake,” angering some evangelicals and activists who have pushed for strong restrictions on abortion.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has over the past year repeatedly dodged questions when asked whether he would sign a national abortion ban if reelected, instead claiming he would find a solution to unite the country on an extremely divisive issue. He has said he supports exceptions for cases of rape, incest and life of the mother.
At the same time, Trump has repeatedly said he is responsible for terminating Roe v. Wade through his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices.
Trump has in recent weeks suggested there is consensus around the idea of a ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, prompting the Biden campaign to warn that Trump would sign a national abortion ban if he is reelected.
Abortion has been a major motivator for Democratic voters in the nearly two years since the Supreme Court decision overturned the federal right to abortion access, and Biden and his campaign have used it as a rallying force heading into November’s general election match-up with former President Trump.
The Biden campaign released an ad Tuesday following the decision in the Sunshine State, focusing specifically on Trump’s comments taking credit for ending Roe v. Wade by appointing three conservative Supreme Court decisions.
