A NYT report that Donald Trump privately backed a 16-week national abortion ban with exceptions angered his campaign staff, who wanted to avoid taking positions on abortion ahead of 2024.
The leak also frustrated anti-abortion groups wanting a total ban.
Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications and research at Reproductive Freedom for All, said, “When you stop asking voters, ‘At what point are you okay with us taking away your rights?’ and start asking them, ‘Are you ever okay with us taking away your rights?’ you get two different answers, and only one of those answers is an accurate measure of how people will behave when they go to vote.”
Deirdre Schifeling, a former Biden administration official said, “There[Virginia], you had the governor actively running on passing a 15-week ban, and saying: ‘Give me the majorities in the House of Delegates and in the Senate to pass this 15-week ban.’”
She continued, “And what happened is voters did quite the opposite: they flipped control to Democrats in both houses.”
“From our polling and our research, voters think [abortion] is a choice that should be up to the pregnant person and their doctor, not something that politicians should be involved in. I think voters, especially in the wake of Dobbs, are very suspicious of and against abortion bans, period,” added the former Biden staffer.
Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy at Students for Life Action, said, “We absolutely reject the idea that our federal government would give its legal blessing to more than nine in 10 abortions.”
Democrats see it as an opportunity to campaign on protecting abortion rights.
While Trump’s team denies the report, sources confirm he expressed support for a 16-week ban.
Advocates argue data used to support limited bans is misleading, and point to election results showing voters reject further restrictions.
They believe voters will be suspicious of any new bans.
Anti-abortion groups reject a 16-week ban as permitting over 90% of abortions.
Trump is trying to balance not alienating independent voters while keeping anti-abortion support, but taking a clear position risks mobilizing both sides on the issue.
Robert Jeffress, a megachurch pastor who has advised Trump, said, “He is a negotiator by trade, and I think he will negotiate a good deal on this issue, and on a whole host of other issues.”
The pastor continued, “Just about three weeks ago, I was talking to President Trump about this issue, and he and I agreed that a 6-week ban with no exceptions policy is not going to fly in America today, because the overwhelming majority of Americans are against something that is that ‘extreme.’ But he also said they are against the ‘extreme’ abortion-on-demand. So he’s clearly trying to get to a position that is staunchly pro-life, but also realistic, given where most Americans are.”
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