The candidates have divergent positions on abortion, and both face criticism from within their own parties.
For voters, abortion is a critical issue in the 2024 election. Three out of four voters say it’s important or very important to them, according to an Aug. 13 poll by The Economist/YouGov.
Ahead of the Sept. 10 debate between Trump and Harris, The Epoch Times reviewed the presidential candidates’ positions on the matter.
We found narrow areas of agreement, broad areas of disagreement, and positions on both sides that, some experts say, are not entirely clear.
Here’s what we know about how each candidate’s approach to abortion policy.
Trump’s Position
Trump’s position on abortion has changed over the years. In the 1990s, he described himself as pro-choice, moving to adopt a pro-life position by 2011.
The former president has often referred to himself as the most pro-life president, based on his role in nominating three Supreme Court justices, who all voted in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that largely legalized abortion in the United States.
Trump’s position in the post-Roe era has drawn criticism from some supporters and left others uncertain of exactly where he stands.
Opposition to abortion has been a standard plank in the Republican Party platform since 1976.
Since the procedure was legal, the party focused on eliminating taxpayer funding for abortion and banning its use for gender selection, on disabled children, or in the later stages of pregnancy.
Following the ruling, the party has had to deal with more specific questions, such as whether or not to pursue a national ban on the procedure and how aggressively to regulate abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the state level.
Trump says such matters should be left to the states, and the 2024 GOP platform does not call for a national ban on abortion.
He has also criticized some state’s approach to the matter.
Trump is opposed to late-term abortion, which is legal in 20 states. He has criticized some state laws that place narrower limits on abortion, like Florida’s ban on the procedure after the sixth week of pregnancy.
