When it comes to abortion rights, Donald Trump is only too pleased to claim credit for the demise of Roe v. Wade. It’s a risky proposition for the former president — he probably realizes that most Americans disagreed with the Republican-appointed justices’ ruling — but he’s willing to push the boasts anyway.
What Trump is far more reluctant to do is tell voters what he intends to do on the issue if they return him to the White House.
Six months ago, the likely GOP nominee said he’d somehow figure out a way to make “both sides“ happy with a compromise solution, though no one had any idea what that might entail. In his latest interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, however, Trump went noticeably further about his intentions. The Hill reported:
Former President Trump on Thursday said he hasn’t decided on a set number of weeks after which abortion should be banned after it was reported he privately has indicated he likes the idea of a 16-week ban. “More and more I’m hearing about 15 weeks. I haven’t decided yet,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity.
The phrasing could’ve been more clarifying, but the exchange nevertheless offered fresh insights into the Republican’s perspective.
Trump initially told Hannity, for example, that “everybody on both sides” agrees decisions about abortion rights must be made “in the states.” As the former president really ought to understand by now, that’s not even close to being true, and much of the country supports the national protections that existed before Roe v. Wade was overturned.
But it was the rest of the on-air exchange that appeared to break some new ground.
Two weeks ago, The New York Times and NBC News reported that Trump had privately told members of his team that he liked the idea of a new, 16-week national abortion ban that would be imposed on states. His campaign issued a press release soon after, but it made no effort to deny the accuracy of the reporting.
It was against that backdrop that the Republican told Hannity, “More and more I’m hearing about 15 weeks. I haven’t decided yet.” He then added, in his best passive voice, “The number 15 is mentioned. I haven’t agreed to any number. I’m going to see.”
It might be tempting to think Trump largely dodged the issue again, but that’s not quite right. The former president hedged, not on whether to impose a national abortion ban, but on the specific details on the kind of national abortion ban he’s prepared to embrace.
In context, when the likely Republican nominee said, “I haven’t decided yet,” he was suggesting that the debate is over where to draw the line, not whether to draw the line.
Despite the murky phrasing, for those concerned about the future of reproductive rights, the message is plenty clear: If given the opportunity, Trump is putting a national abortion ban on the table.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.
