Former President Donald Trump stirred some controversy on Thursday over Florida’s abortion laws, leaving pro-life conservatives on shaky ground, wondering which way he was leaning. That is, until Friday, when Trump reassured many of his supporters that he remains committed to defending the sanctity of life by revealing that he is voting “no” on the radical pro-abortion Florida ballot initiative this November.
Initial remarks from Trump gave the impression that he might endorse Florida Amendment 4, which would enshrine abortion protections into the constitution up to nine months of pregnancy.
Trump, on Thursday, had come out against Florida’s current six-week abortion ban, saying, “There has to be more time,” which would have him voting for a longer period. That raised some red flags among pro-life conservatives afraid he was abandoning his previous position.
However, Trump soon put those fears to rest. In an interview with a reporter before a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Trump clarified his stance: “I disagreed with [the six-week limitation] right from the early primaries when I heard about it. I disagreed with it.”
Yet he didn’t hold back in criticizing the Democrats for their extreme stance, labeling the idea of abortion up to nine months “a ridiculous situation.”.
“At the same time, the Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation, where you can do an abortion in the ninth month,” he said, going further to cite the abhorrence of late-term abortion and infanticide that is codified in some states.
“You know, some of the states, like Minnesota and other states, have it where you can actually execute the baby after birth, and all of that stuff is unacceptable. So, I’ll be voting ‘no’ for that reason,” he stated.
Pro-life Republicans, who had been concerned following Trump’s Thursday comments, welcomed the strong statement against the radical amendment. Lila Rose, founder of Live Action, thanked Trump for his clarification, writing, “Thank you, @realDonaldTrump! Please help the great people of Florida defeat this horrific amendment!”
And in recalling previous strong pro-life statements by Trump, she wrote that if he “starts talking like former President Trump who at the March for Life said ‘Together, we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and sanctity of every human life,’ he may just win this election.”
Thank you, @realDonaldTrump!
Please help the great people of Florida defeat this horrific amendment!
If Trump starts talking like former President Trump who at the March for Life said “Together, we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and sanctity of every human… https://t.co/a3FvUEJiz2
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) August 30, 2024
Similarly, Andrew T. Walker of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary weighed in to praise the clarification from Trump and attributed it to the voices raised in concern by the pro-life community in response.
“There is little doubt that the outpouring of responses from yesterday led to this. Continue speaking up. President Trump must know he cannot abandon pro-lifers,” Walker wrote.
This is an encouraging development that I am glad to see. There is little doubt that the outpouring of responses from yesterday led to this. Continue speaking up. President Trump must know he cannot abandon pro-lifers. https://t.co/zHkAy3taMI
— Andrew T. Walker (@andrewtwalk) August 30, 2024
