(Atlanta) Donald Trump said Wednesday that Arizona’s law that criminalizes almost all abortions went too far and the former US president called on the state’s lawmakers to change it, while defending the invalidation of “Roe vs. Wade” by the Supreme Court, which now allows states to ban the procedure.
An 1873 law to limit access to abortion in the United States?
After landing in Atlanta for a fundraiser on Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump told supporters and reporters that this matter “will be resolved very quickly,” including by the governor of Arizona.
Mr. Trump faces political pressure over abortion rights, and Democrats hope it will be a defining issue in the November election. Mr. Trump released a video this week in which he refuses to endorse the national ban on abortion and says limits should be left to the states.
This statement angered religious conservatives and stimulated President Joe Biden’s allies, who consider the right to abortion to be one of Donald Trump’s weaknesses.
Tuesday’s ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court cleared the way for enforcement of an 1864 law that bans abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with no exceptions in cases of rape or incest.
Mr. Trump maintains that he is proud that the three Supreme Court justices he appointed voted to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade, saying states will have different restrictions. He supports three exceptions: in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is in danger.
He also pointed to a Florida law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, saying “that’s probably going to change, too.”
“For 52 years, people have wanted to end Roe v. Wade and entrust [cette question] to the states. We did it. It was something incredible, an incredible feat,” he said. “Now it’s up to the states, and they do what they want. It is the will of the people. So Florida will probably change. »
Mr. Trump, who is a Florida resident, ignored questions about how he planned to vote himself on the proposed constitutional amendment in that state that would enshrine access to abortion as a right of Floridians.
He also did not specify what he believes the level of restrictions and access to abortion should be in Arizona or any other US state.