In a wide-ranging interview on with NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker, former President Donald Trump described his approach to a potential federal abortion ban.
“It’s a very polarizing issue. Because of what’s been done, and because of the fact we brought it back to the states, we’re going to have people come together on this issue,” he said.
President Trump said he would seek to bring together a bipartisan group, hear all sides, and create consensus.
“We will agree to a number of weeks, which will be where both sides will be happy. We have to bring the country together on this issue.”
15 Weeks?
He claims the activists pushing for abortion on demand with no restrictions represent only an extreme view that even many pro-life Democrats are against.
“Nobody wants to see five, six, seven, eight, nine months,” he said, adding that laws that allow mothers to terminate babies even after they have been delivered alive should be done away with.
Asked whether he would sign a 15-week ban that made it to his desk, he said “no.”
“Let me just tell you what I’d do. I’m going to come together with all groups, and we’re going to have something that’s acceptable,” he said. “What’s going to happen is you’re going to come up with a number of weeks or months. You’re going to come up with a number that’s going to make people happy. Because 92 percent of the Democrats don’t want to see abortion after a certain period of time.”
He said many people have offered up the “15-week” period for a ban, which is early into the second trimester, but he wouldn’t consider legislation without bringing more people into the room first.
“I would sit down with both sides and I’d negotiate something, and we’ll end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years,” he said, declining to say whether he would support a federal ban.
“I’m not going to say I would or I wouldn’t,” he said, adding that he was proud of the overturning of Roe v. Wade because it gave the power back to the states.
By Catherine Yang
