Trump hustles to manage fallout from Florida abortion measure
The former president explicitly states his voting stance on the state measure following backlash from abortion opponents.
TroibNews 
Former President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he plans to vote against a Florida ballot initiative designed to make the right to abortion a constitutional right in the state. This declaration came a day after he confused some of his evangelical backers with remarks about abortion restrictions.
In a television interview, Trump stated his opposition to the severe six-week abortion restriction enforced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other state Republicans, but he confirmed he would oppose Amendment 4 due to his disagreement with what he terms the "radical" access to abortion advocated by Democrats.
“All of that stuff is unacceptable, so I will be voting no for that reason,” he explained on Fox News.
These comments, which included an erroneous portrayal of abortion regulations that he often repeats, were part of an apparent attempt to regain favor following his earlier comments that had upset some supporters. These supporters were reacting to Trump’s less stringent stance on abortion during a close electoral race with Vice President Kamala Harris, as indicated by current polls.
Some evangelical voters expressed discontent over Trump’s previous statements in a TV interview on Thursday where he criticized the six-week limit and hinted he would support Amendment 4 as a Florida voter.
“I’m going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he remarked during an NBC interview.
Amendment 4 aims to establish a constitutional right to abortion in Florida up until fetal viability or when necessary to preserve the mother's health. This measure came about as a direct response to the six-week ban initiated by DeSantis and his colleagues after the Supreme Court, influenced by Trump-appointed conservatives, nullified Roe v. Wade.
In his discussion on Fox, Trump reiterated his belief that Florida’s law is excessively strict. “I think six weeks, you need more time than six weeks. I’ve disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it, I disagreed with it,” he detailed.
Pro-life organizations, initially upset by Trump’s comments on Florida’s six-week restriction, expressed satisfaction with his subsequent statements. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, acknowledged this turnaround in a statement saying she was “pleased to see” Trump align with the pro-life youth and a significant segment of conservative voters.
On the other hand, Natasha Sutherland, a spokesperson for the Amendment 4 campaign, indicated that Trump's stance might not significantly impact voter decisions at the polls.
“Regardless of what politicians say or do each day, when it comes to Amendment 4, the truth today is the same as the truth yesterday,” Sutherland noted. “Floridians have a choice between the state's current extreme abortion ban and voting ‘Yes’ on 4 to overturn that ban and get politicians out of our exam rooms.”
Arek Sarkissian also contributed to this report.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
In a television interview, Trump stated his opposition to the severe six-week abortion restriction enforced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other state Republicans, but he confirmed he would oppose Amendment 4 due to his disagreement with what he terms the "radical" access to abortion advocated by Democrats.
“All of that stuff is unacceptable, so I will be voting no for that reason,” he explained on Fox News.
These comments, which included an erroneous portrayal of abortion regulations that he often repeats, were part of an apparent attempt to regain favor following his earlier comments that had upset some supporters. These supporters were reacting to Trump’s less stringent stance on abortion during a close electoral race with Vice President Kamala Harris, as indicated by current polls.
Some evangelical voters expressed discontent over Trump’s previous statements in a TV interview on Thursday where he criticized the six-week limit and hinted he would support Amendment 4 as a Florida voter.
“I’m going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he remarked during an NBC interview.
Amendment 4 aims to establish a constitutional right to abortion in Florida up until fetal viability or when necessary to preserve the mother's health. This measure came about as a direct response to the six-week ban initiated by DeSantis and his colleagues after the Supreme Court, influenced by Trump-appointed conservatives, nullified Roe v. Wade.
In his discussion on Fox, Trump reiterated his belief that Florida’s law is excessively strict. “I think six weeks, you need more time than six weeks. I’ve disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it, I disagreed with it,” he detailed.
Pro-life organizations, initially upset by Trump’s comments on Florida’s six-week restriction, expressed satisfaction with his subsequent statements. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, acknowledged this turnaround in a statement saying she was “pleased to see” Trump align with the pro-life youth and a significant segment of conservative voters.
On the other hand, Natasha Sutherland, a spokesperson for the Amendment 4 campaign, indicated that Trump's stance might not significantly impact voter decisions at the polls.
“Regardless of what politicians say or do each day, when it comes to Amendment 4, the truth today is the same as the truth yesterday,” Sutherland noted. “Floridians have a choice between the state's current extreme abortion ban and voting ‘Yes’ on 4 to overturn that ban and get politicians out of our exam rooms.”
Arek Sarkissian also contributed to this report.
James del Carmen for TROIB News
