(The Hill) — Former President Donald Trump has not decided how he will vote on a Florida ballot initiative that would bar future state legislation limiting abortion access and overturn the state’s current abortion ban.
Earlier in August, Trump said in a news conference that he would be speaking more on the initiative in Florida, where he lives, “at some point in the near future.” In the three weeks since making those remarks, he has yet to speak extensively about the measure.
On Thursday, however, Trump gave a hint at where his thoughts are. When asked about the amendment, Trump said, “I think the six week is too short, there has to be more time.”
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Abortion is currently banned in Florida after six weeks, before most women know they’re pregnant. Exceptions for rape and incest are included in the law.
After being pressed on whether he plans to vote in favor of the amendment, given his opposition to the six-week ban, Trump said, “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.”
“Look, just so you understand, everyone wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years. Fifty-two years. I got it done; they wanted it to go back to the States,” Trump added. “Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path.”
While his answers appeared to imply at least that he wasn’t opposed to the amendment, his campaign swiftly clarified that he hasn’t committed to voting for or against the initiative.
“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida; he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” said Karoline Leavitt, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary.
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Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, reiterated that Trump was still uncommitted.
“I spoke with President Trump this evening. He has not committed to how he will vote on Amendment 4. President Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position,” Dannenfelser said.
Abortion access has been a politically poisonous issue for Republicans since the overturning of Roe in 2022. Republican candidates have sought to neutralize their anti-abortion positions after ballot measures supporting abortion access passed in several states.
The Harris-Walz campaign has sought to capitalize on this momentum, consistently labeling state-level abortion bans as “Trump’s Abortion Bans.”
“Donald Trump and his Project 2025 agenda would ban abortion nationwide and rip reproductive freedoms from women across the country. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are the only candidates who will protect our fundamental rights and freedoms,” the campaign said in a statement last week.
