NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� was on the verge of backing a 16-week federal earlier this year when aides staged an intervention.
According to on his selection as its Trump's aides first raised concerns in mid-March that the abortion cutoff being pushed by some allies would be stricter than existing law in numerous states. It was seen as a potential political liability amid ongoing fallout over the overturning of Roe v. Wade by a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that includes three justices nominated by Trump in his first term.
Trump political director James Blair went to work assembling a slide deck 鈥� eventually titled 鈥淗ow a national abortion ban will cost Trump the election" 鈥� that argued a 16-week ban would hurt the Republican candidate in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, the magazine reported.
鈥淎fter flipping through Blair鈥檚 presentation" on a flight to a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in April, Trump dropped the idea, according to the report. "So we leave it to the states, right?" Trump was quoted as saying. He soon released a video articulating that position.
At the time, Trump鈥檚 campaign the 16-week ban, calling it 鈥渇ake news鈥� and saying Trump planned to 鈥渘egotiate a deal鈥� on abortion if elected to the White House.
Here are other highlights from the story and the president-elect's 65-minute interview with the magazine:
Jan. 6 pardons could start in the 鈥榝irst nine minutes鈥�
Trump reaffirmed his plans to pardon most of those convicted for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to start in the first hour,鈥� he said of the pardons. 鈥淢aybe the first nine minutes.鈥�
Trump said he would look at individuals on a 鈥渃ase-by-case" basis, but that 鈥渁 vast majority of them should not be in jail.鈥�
More than 1,500 people have been charged with federal crimes stemming from the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they . More than 1,000 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges, including misdemeanor trespassing offenses, assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy.
Trump is open to holding detained migrants in camps
Trump insisted he has the authority to use the military to assist with his promised , even though, as his interviewers noted, the prohibits the use of the military in domestic law enforcement.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 stop the military if it鈥檚 an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country," he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows. And I think in many cases, the sheriffs and law enforcement is going to need help."
Trump did not deny that camps would be needed to hold detained migrants as they are processed for deportation.
鈥淲hatever it takes to get them out. I don鈥檛 care," he said. 鈥淚 hope we鈥檙e not going to need too many because I want to get them out and I don鈥檛 want them sitting in camp for the next 20 years.鈥�
Trump told Time he does not plan to restore to deter border crossings, but he did not rule it out. The practice led to thousands of children being separated from their parents and was condemned around the globe as inhumane.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe we鈥檒l have to because we will send the whole family back,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 would much rather deport them together, yes, than separate.鈥�
Musk prioritizes the country over his business interests, Trump insists
Trump dismissed the idea that Elon Musk will face conflicts of interest as he takes the helm of the , an advisory group that Trump has selected him to lead. The panel is supposed to find waste and cut regulations, including many that could affect Musk's , which include electric cars, rockets and telecommunications.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so," Trump said. 鈥淚 think that Elon puts the country long before his company. ... He considers this to be his most important project."
Trump acknowledges the difficulty of lowering grocery prices
Trump lowered expectations about his ability to drive down
鈥淚鈥檇 like to bring them down. It鈥檚 hard to bring things down once they鈥檙e up. You know, it鈥檚 very hard. But I think that they will,鈥� he said.
Trump plans 鈥榲irtual closure鈥� of the Education Department
said he is planning 鈥渁 virtual closure" of the "Department of Education in Washington.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to need some people just to make sure they鈥檙e teaching English in the schools," he said. 鈥淏ut we want to move education back to the states.鈥�
Yet Trump has proposed exerting enormous influence over schools. He has threatened to cut funding for schools with vaccine mandates while forcing them to 鈥渢each students to love their country" and promote 鈥渢he nuclear family,鈥� including 鈥渢he roles of mothers and fathers鈥� and the 鈥渢hings that make men and women different and unique.鈥�
Trump offers conflicting answers on future of abortion pills
Asked to clarify whether he was committed to preventing the Food and Drug Administration from stripping access to , Trump replied, 鈥淚t鈥檚 always been my commitment.鈥�
But Trump has offered numerous conflicting stances on the issue, including to Time.
Earlier in the interview, he was asked whether he would promise that his FDA would not do anything to limit access to medication abortion or abortion pills. "We鈥檙e going to take a look at all of that,鈥� he said, before calling the prospect 鈥渧ery unlikely.鈥�
鈥淟ook, I鈥檝e stated it very clearly and I just stated it again very clearly. I think it would be highly unlikely. I can鈥檛 imagine, but with, you know, we鈥檙e looking at everything, but highly unlikely. I guess I could say probably as close to ruling it out as possible, but I don鈥檛 want to. I don鈥檛 want to do anything now.鈥�
Trump says US support for Ukraine will be leverage for a deal with Russia
Pressed on whether he would abandon in its efforts , Trump said he would use U.S. support for Kyiv as leverage against Moscow in negotiating an end to the war.
鈥淚 want to reach an agreement,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd the only way you鈥檙e going to reach an agreement is not to abandon.鈥�
Does he trust Netanyahu? 鈥業 don鈥檛 trust anybody'
would not commit to supporting a two-state solution, with a Palestinian state alongside Israel, as he had previously.
鈥淚 support whatever solution we can do to get peace," he said. "There are other ideas other than two state, but I support whatever, whatever is necessary to get not just peace, a lasting peace. It can鈥檛 go on where every five years you end up in tragedy. There are other alternatives.鈥�
Asked whether he trusted , he told Time: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 trust anybody.鈥�
War with Iran? 鈥楢nything can happen,鈥� he says
Trump would not rule out the possibility of war with Iran during his second term. 鈥淎nything can happen. It鈥檚 a very volatile situation," he said.
Trump mum on conversations with Putin
Asked if he has spoken to since the Nov. 5 election, Trump continued to play coy: "I can鈥檛 tell you. It鈥檚 just inappropriate.鈥�
Trump insists he had the votes to confirm Gaetz as attorney general
Trump insisted that his bid to install 鈥漺asn鈥檛 blocked. I had the votes (in the Senate) if I needed them, but I had to work very hard.鈥�
When the scope of resistance to the former Republican congressman from Florida became clear, Trump said, 鈥淚 talked to him, and I said, 鈥榊ou know, Matt, I don鈥檛 think this is worth the fight.'"
Gaetz pulled out amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations, and Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for the Cabinet post.
Trump is open to changes for childhood vaccines
Trump, who has named anti-vaccine activist to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, did not rule out the possibility of eliminating some childhood vaccinations even though they have been proved safe in extensive studies and real world use in hundreds of millions of people over decades and are considered among the most effective public health measures in modern history.
Pressed on whether 鈥済etting rid of some vaccinations鈥� 鈥� neither Trump nor the interviewers specified which ones 鈥� might be part of the plan to improve the health of the country, Trump responded: 鈥淚t could if I think it鈥檚 dangerous, if I think they are not beneficial, but I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to be very controversial in the end.鈥�
Trump weighs in on family political dynasty
鈥淚 think there could be, yeah," Trump said of the prospect of others in his family continuing in his footsteps.
He pointed to , who served as co-chair of the Republican National Committee and is now being talked about as a potential replacement for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump has chosen for secretary of state.
Melania Trump will return to the White House, he says
Trump said the former and soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump will be joining him at the White House during second term and will "be active, when she needs to be.鈥�
鈥淥h yes,鈥� he said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 very beloved by the people, Melania. And they like the fact that she鈥檚 not out there in your face all the time for many reasons.鈥�
Jill Colvin, The Associated Press
