- In a video Monday, former Pres. Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee for the 2024 presidential election, said abortion rights should be left up to legislation at the state level and "whatever they decide must be the law of the land, and in this case, the law of the state." X.com
- Trump added, "this is all about the will of the people" in the video, which was posted on his Truth Social platform. New York Times (LR: 2 CP: 5)
- Previously in a March radio interview, Trump didn't reject the idea of a 15-week (early in the second trimester) national abortion ban, but in the same interview he said that legal scholars agree "it's a state issue." PBS NewsHour (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- The power to restrict abortions was granted back to the states after the US Supreme Court in 2022 — featuring three conservative justices nominated by Trump — overturned Roe v. Wade. USA Today (LR: 3 CP: 5)
- Democratic Pres. Joe Biden, who's running for reelection against Trump this year, in a statement said "Trump is scrambling" because he's worried "voters will hold him accountable" for his role in overturning Roe. Reuters.com (LR: 3 CP: 5)
Pro-Trump narrative:
- Trump has skillfully struck a balance on this issue. He's moderating the party's viewpoint in an effort to court enough voters that help Republicans defeat Democrats in elections and create the culture Republicans want. Trump also hasn't ruled out a potential 15-week federal ban once he's in office.
BREITBART (LR: 5 CP: 3)
Republican narrative:
- Trump is rarely wrong, but he's missing the mark by not fighting harder for a federal limit on late-term abortions that's popular in polling. This isn't about geography, it's about protecting the life of an unborn child, and polling shows a limit of 15 weeks at minimum is what the American people want. Trump should rethink his stance.
DAILY WIRE (LR: 5 CP: 3)
Democratic narrative:
- Trump's announcement is incoherent and leaves numerous unanswered questions, including whether he would sign a federal ban and what his position is on medical abortion. No one is going to forget his role in overturning Roe — which he brags about — or the restrictions that decision brought, so he's not fooling anyone with this video.
MSNBC (LR: 1 CP: 5)
Nerd narrative:
- There's a 4% chance that elective abortion will be banned nationally in the United States before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)