Trump’s confused Florida abortion decision: Won’t vote to 'execute the baby after birth'

30 August 2024

After weeks of refusing to commit to a decision, and after appearing to be confused about how ballot initiatives work, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump late Friday afternoon, as the holiday weekend kicked off, announced how he will vote on a ballot initiative in his home state of Florida that would protect the right to abortion. Experts say his decision reflects how he would respond to a nationwide abortion ban as president should he win back the White House.

“So, I think six weeks, you need more time, six weeks – I’ve disagreed with that right from the early primaries, when I heard about it I disagreed with it,” Trump said (video below). “At the same time the Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the ninth month and you know some of the states like Minnesota are so radical where you can actually execute the baby after birth. And all of that stuff is unacceptable.”

“So I’ll be voting ‘no’ for that reason,” Trump declared, saying he will vote against protecting the right to abortion, and to support Florida’s near-total, six-week abortion ban.

It is not legal in Minnesota, or any state, to execute the baby after birth.

The Florida abortion ballot initiative would allow abortion until the fetus is viable, similar to abortion under Roe v. Wade. It does not legalize abortion up until or after birth.

Trump’s apparent misunderstanding of the ballot measure was evident earlier this week.

On Thursday, Trump told a reporter he would be voting to extend the number of weeks under which abortion would be legal, saying he would vote to make it longer than six weeks. “I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he said. The ballot initiative is a yes or no question.

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes framed Trump’s response in a more general direction, appearing to suggest what Trump might do if elected President: “Just to be clear, Trump now says he will vote to UPHOLD Florida’s SIX WEEK abortion ban.”

“Which makes sense,” Hayes continued, “because he supports abortion bans! He got Roe overturned and he’s the head of a party that wants to criminalize abortion nation-wide.”

Semafor Washington Bureau chief Benny Sarlin said, “Trump comes out against abortion rights amendment a day after he sounded so close to supporting it that social conservatives thought it was an endorsement.”

CNN senior political commentator David Axelrod observed, “In 24 hours, Trump does a 180 on FL abortion rights referendum, after its opponents pull his chain. Same thing happened when he was POTUS, and flirted with common sense gun safety laws, until the NRA swept into the WH for an emergency reindoctrination.”

Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Ben Wikler added: “Florida has a 6 week abortion ban. A ballot initiative would repeal it. Trump says he’s voting no. Trump is pro-ban.”

Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett noted, “There it is. Trump supports states passing total abortion bans. No question he will sign a national abortion ban if it’s put on his desk.”

Watch below or at this link.

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