NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� suggested Tuesday that he鈥檇 support a national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy, voicing for the first time support for a specific limit on the procedure.
The Republican former president has taken credit for striking down a federally guaranteed right to abortion by appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. As he seeks the White House a third time, Trump has refrained from embracing any specific limit on the procedure, warning it could backfire politically and instead suggesting he would 鈥渘egotiate鈥� a policy on abortion that would include exceptions for cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.
But in a radio interview Tuesday, Trump criticized Democrats for not endorsing a ban that would limit abortions in states that still allow the procedure.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to come up with a time 鈥� and maybe we could bring the country together on that issue," Trump said while calling into the 鈥淪id & Friends in the Morning鈥� show on WABC.
Trump went on to say: 鈥淭he number of weeks now, people are agreeing on 15. And I鈥檓 thinking in terms of that. And it鈥檒l come out to something that鈥檚 very reasonable. But people are really, even hard-liners are agreeing, seems to be, 15 weeks seems to be a number that people are agreeing at."
At the same time, Trump seemed to suggest reluctance to a federal ban.
鈥淓verybody agrees 鈥� you鈥檝e heard this for years 鈥� all the legal scholars on both sides agree: It鈥檚 a state issue. It shouldn鈥檛 be a federal issue, it鈥檚 a state issue,鈥� he said.
Last month, that he privately had expressed for a ban on abortion after 16 weeks of pregnancy, calling the report 鈥渇ake news.鈥� The campaign did not offer details on Trump鈥檚 plans, only saying he planned to 鈥渘egotiate a deal鈥� on abortion.
Later Tuesday, after casting his ballot in Florida's Republican presidential primary, Trump was asked by a reporter about a ban on abortions at 16 weeks and said, 鈥淲e鈥檒l be talking about that soon.鈥�
Abortion rights have been a galvanizing issue for voters in recent years, and Democrats and to spotlight the issue as a clear split from Trump in the 2024 election.
Polling has consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal through the initial stages of pregnancy. About half of U.S. adults said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted last June.
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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.
Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
