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TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Donald Trump says he doesn’t support the six-week abortion ban put in place by former ally Gov. Ron DeSantis in the former president’s adopted home state. But that doesn’t mean he’ll vote to overturn it.
Trump said in a TV interview Thursday that six weeks is too restrictive and he appeared to signal that he supports a November ballot initiative in the state that would overturn the ban imposed last year by DeSantis and Florida Republicans. Then, his campaign issued a statement walking it back.
“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,” it said.
Trump, in a brief interview with NBC News, said he didn’t agree with the six-week ban adopted in Florida after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“I think the six week (ban) is too short — it has to be more time,” Trump told NBC News. “I told them I want more weeks.”
Trump did not explicitly say how he, as a resident of Florida, would vote for Amendment 4, which is opposed by DeSantis and would provide a right to abortion under the state constitution until the fetus is viable or if necessary to protect the health of the mother. But he suggested that he is on the “yes” side.
“I’m going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he said.
The comments are part of a broader effort by the former president to moderate his stance on reproductive rights and abortion, which has become a major political liability for Republicans since the Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority because of Trump’s nominees, overturned the 1973 case that established a right to the procedure.
DeSantis and other Florida Republicans quickly approved Florida’s 6-week abortion after the court overturned Roe, and the governor made the statewide ban one of his top priorities as part of his failed bid for the White House.
Trump’s comments may be helpful to Amendment 4 since the former president has significant support in Florida. DeSantis spokesperson Jeremy Redfern said the governor had no immediate comment.
Vote No on 4 campaign spokesperson Taryn Fenske issued a statement that didn’t address Trump’s apparent support for the ballot measure and focused on the former president’s opposition to the procedure beyond six weeks.
“Donald Trump has previously stated that late-term abortions where a baby can feel pain should never be permitted, and he’s always stood up for parents’ rights,” Fenske said. “Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, eliminate parental consent, and open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions. It’s extreme and must be defeated.”
In response to Trump, Amendment 4 campaign spokesperson Natasha Sutherland wrote in a statement that abortion is a nonpartisan issue.
“We know that the passage of Amendment 4 is a nonpartisan issue– Republican, Democrat or independent, the overwhelming majority of Floridians do not want the government making decisions for them when it comes to something as personal and complicated as pregnancy,” Sutherland wrote. “As doctors risk prison just to treat the patient in front of them and women in dangerous circumstances lose access to lifesaving care, Floridians understand the necessity of Amendment 4.”
As Trump seeks to moderate his views on abortion, he’s also seeking to portray himself as a strong supporter of in-vitro fertilization. IVF became a sensitive issue for Republicans in February when the Alabama Supreme Court, relying on anti-abortion language in the state constitution, ruled that embryos frozen during fertilization treatment can be considered children. Republican politicians rushed to distance themselves from a ruling that posed a legal threat to a widely used procedure.
Trump said at a rally in Michigan on Thursday that his administration would support making IVF treatment free, though he gave no specifics about how he would achieve that goal.
“Your government will pay for or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for all costs associated with IVF treatment because we want more babies, to put it very nicely,” the former president said.
He also said new parents would be allowed to deduct major newborn expenses from their taxes.
Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, which has frequently pointed out Trump’s role in appointing the judges that overturned Roe and warned of the likelihood of further restrictions if he is reelected, was dismissive of his attempts to counter the narrative.
“Trump lies as much if not more than he breathes, but voters aren’t stupid,” Harris spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. “Because Trump overturned Roe v. Wade, IVF is already under attack and women’s freedoms have been ripped away in states across the country.”
