But compared to the growing push by anti-abortion activists to ban abortions nationwide, Trump’s stance is designed to appear largely moderate. And if you were born yesterday, you could even say that Trump is beginning to pivot to his centrist position to blur his differences with other Republicans on abortion. If Trump can convince skeptical voters that he is not Mike Pence or Ron DeSantis, he will move one step closer to a second term.
However, there is no reason to take President Trump’s statements at face value. President Trump, like nearly everyone who follows American politics, recognizes that the Republican Party is dangerously weak on abortion rights. The Biden campaign has already begun airing ads that directly blame President Trump for the abortion ban. He knows he needs to neutralize the issue as much as possible without alienating his anti-abortion supporters. For example, Trump announced his support for a 15-week ban when it looked like he would be fine if he supported one.
It doesn’t take any special powers of political analysis to know that Monday’s statement is a ruse, and that’s obvious. What did President Trump say just before announcing the states’ rights position on abortion? He credits himself for ending Roe. “Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights. In particular, I am proud to be responsible for ending what all jurists on both sides wanted. And in fact, he called for an end to Roe v. Wade.” This claim that all sides wanted Roe to end is a complete fabrication, but it does make Trump, who seeks to be all things to all people, a complete fabrication. It plays a protective role.
Later in the video, as if to emphasize his own responsibility for Roe’s demise, Trump praised the Dobbs majority by name, saying, “Chief Justice John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito… I want to thank the six justices, Mr. Brett Kavanaugh.” , Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch are incredible people who had the courage to finally end this long-running battle. ”
Mr. Trump is saying what he thinks his audience, including the public and the press, want to hear. He is trying to put abortion in the rearview mirror and treat it as an established fact that he does not want a too hardline approach to reproductive rights.
