Trump says Arizona pro-life law went ‘too far’ as Biden camp claims policy U-turn
Fox News
Former President Donald Trump says the Arizona Republican Party’s recent pro-life legislation went “too far” after previously stating abortion issues should be left to the states.
Trump spoke to reporters after landing in Georgia on Wednesday and was asked for his reaction to the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling outlawing all non-lifesaving abortions.
Asked Wednesday whether the state judges went “too far” in their ruling, Trump responded, “Yeah, they did.”
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“And that will be straightened out,” Trump continued. “And as you know, it’s all about states’ rights. That will be straightened out. And I’m sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason. And that will be taken care of, I think, very quickly.”
The Arizona Supreme Court issued a ruling on Tuesday reverting the state back to a 160-year-old, pre-statehood law that outlaws abortions in nearly all circumstances except when the mother’s life is at risk.
The law makes it a felony for anyone who “provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life,” potentially carrying a prison sentence between 2 and 5 years.
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The law, which was codified in 1913 after Arizona became a state, includes an exception in cases that endanger the mother.
Trump’s sudden disapproval of the pro-life legislation shocked many conservatives after the presidential candidate just this week endorsed abortion issues being handled at the state level.
“The states will determine by vote, or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land – in this case, the law of the state,” Trump said Monday.
TRUMP SAYS ABORTION SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE STATES, ‘WILL OF THE PEOPLE’
He added, “Many states will be different. Many states will have a different number of weeks…at the end of the day it is all about the will of the people.”
The Biden camp mocked Trump’s apparent U-turn on the abortion issue, accusing the presumptive Republican nominee of failing to own his policy platform.
“Donald Trump owns the suffering and chaos happening right now, including in Arizona, because he proudly overturned Roe – something he called ‘an incredible thing’ and ’pretty amazing’ just today. Trump lies constantly – about everything – but has one track record: banning abortion every chance he gets,” said Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler.
Tyler continued, “The guy who wants to be a dictator on day one will use every tool at his disposal to ban abortion nationwide, with or without Congress, and running away from reporters to his private jet like a coward doesn’t change that reality.”
Trump was asked by reporters on the same trip whether he believes medical professionals that perform abortions should be punished.
“I’ll let that be to the states. You know, everything we’re doing now is states and states’ rights,” Trump replied.
He added, “And what we wanted to do is get it back to the states, because for 53 years it’s been a fight and now the states are handling it and some have handled it very well and the others will end up handling it very well. And those are the things that states are going to make a determination about.”
Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.