Trump Declines to Reveal Voting Stance on Florida Abortion Amendment
The ex-president also forecasted that the vote on the amendment would result in a more "liberal way" than was initially expected.
TroibNews 
MIAMI — During a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach on Thursday, former President Donald Trump declined to specify how he would vote on a proposed Florida state constitutional amendment aimed at overturning the state's six-week abortion ban. He did, however, predict that the vote might result in a more "liberal way" than expected.
When a POLITICO reporter inquired about his voting intentions as a Florida resident, Trump avoided giving a direct answer, remarking that he believes abortion has "become much less of an issue." Later, when pressed about the upcoming amendment which Floridians will vote on in November, he assured to address the topic "sometime in the near future."
"So I don’t want to tell you now," Trump stated. "But Florida does have a vote coming up on that and I think probably the vote will go in a little more liberal way than people thought. But I’ll be announcing that at the appropriate time."
The amendment, referred to as Amendment 4, seeks to revoke the current six-week abortion restriction signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. This amendment would allow abortion access up to the point of viability, with exceptions for health reasons later in a pregnancy.
This issue has sparked a debate between Trump and Governor DeSantis. DeSantis has criticized Trump in the Republican presidential primary for not being "pro-life," while Trump labeled DeSantis’s enacting of the six-week ban as a "terrible mistake."
Although DeSantis is not on the ballot in November, he is actively raising funds to support committees opposing the abortion amendment and addressing concerns about it during press events. He has claimed that the amendment’s language grants too much discretion to healthcare providers in determining when an abortion is necessary for health reasons and what defines "viability." Generally, viability is understood to be around 24 weeks into a pregnancy, though this can vary based on health conditions and other factors.
The Republican Party of Florida has also taken a stance against the abortion amendment, passing a resolution to oppose it.
Trump was similarly non-committal on another controversial state amendment regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 and older, indicating that he would make a public statement on the matter "fairly soon." Governor DeSantis opposes this amendment as well.
Florida Democrats are leveraging the abortion amendment to drive voter turnout, arguing that it could energize their base and attract more support, a strategy they believe helped them retain more congressional seats than anticipated in 2022. They have also warned that Trump might seek a nationwide abortion ban.
While Trump endorsed a 20-week abortion limit during his presidency, he has adopted a states' rights perspective on the issue for his 2024 campaign, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. On Thursday, he reiterated his support for abortion exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening complications during pregnancy.
Trump’s Supreme Court appointees played a significant role in overturning abortion rights protections. Following Trump's influence, the Republican National Committee aligned its position on abortion more closely with his views.
“Now the states are voting on it," Trump remarked. "The vote of the people is taking care of it."
Natalie Allison contributed reporting from Palm Beach, Florida.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
When a POLITICO reporter inquired about his voting intentions as a Florida resident, Trump avoided giving a direct answer, remarking that he believes abortion has "become much less of an issue." Later, when pressed about the upcoming amendment which Floridians will vote on in November, he assured to address the topic "sometime in the near future."
"So I don’t want to tell you now," Trump stated. "But Florida does have a vote coming up on that and I think probably the vote will go in a little more liberal way than people thought. But I’ll be announcing that at the appropriate time."
The amendment, referred to as Amendment 4, seeks to revoke the current six-week abortion restriction signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis. This amendment would allow abortion access up to the point of viability, with exceptions for health reasons later in a pregnancy.
This issue has sparked a debate between Trump and Governor DeSantis. DeSantis has criticized Trump in the Republican presidential primary for not being "pro-life," while Trump labeled DeSantis’s enacting of the six-week ban as a "terrible mistake."
Although DeSantis is not on the ballot in November, he is actively raising funds to support committees opposing the abortion amendment and addressing concerns about it during press events. He has claimed that the amendment’s language grants too much discretion to healthcare providers in determining when an abortion is necessary for health reasons and what defines "viability." Generally, viability is understood to be around 24 weeks into a pregnancy, though this can vary based on health conditions and other factors.
The Republican Party of Florida has also taken a stance against the abortion amendment, passing a resolution to oppose it.
Trump was similarly non-committal on another controversial state amendment regarding the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 and older, indicating that he would make a public statement on the matter "fairly soon." Governor DeSantis opposes this amendment as well.
Florida Democrats are leveraging the abortion amendment to drive voter turnout, arguing that it could energize their base and attract more support, a strategy they believe helped them retain more congressional seats than anticipated in 2022. They have also warned that Trump might seek a nationwide abortion ban.
While Trump endorsed a 20-week abortion limit during his presidency, he has adopted a states' rights perspective on the issue for his 2024 campaign, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. On Thursday, he reiterated his support for abortion exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and life-threatening complications during pregnancy.
Trump’s Supreme Court appointees played a significant role in overturning abortion rights protections. Following Trump's influence, the Republican National Committee aligned its position on abortion more closely with his views.
“Now the states are voting on it," Trump remarked. "The vote of the people is taking care of it."
Natalie Allison contributed reporting from Palm Beach, Florida.
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
