Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would not sign a federal abortion ban if one reached his desk were he to be elected in November.
It’s Trump’s firmest response to date on a national abortion ban. He has simultaneously claimed credit for appointing the Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade while distancing himself from some of the stricter efforts by Republicans across the country to limit the procedure. On Monday, he called for the issue to be decided by the states.
“Would you sign a national abortion ban if Congress sent it to your desk?” A reporter in Atlanta asked Trump on Wednesday.
“No,” Trump said, shaking his head.
“You wouldn’t sign it?” the reporter asked.
“No,” Trump said again.
Earlier Wednesday, Trump distanced himself from a controversial decision handed down by Arizona’s state Supreme Court that said the state must adhere to a 160-year-old law barring all abortions except in cases when “it is necessary to save” a pregnant person’s life. The ruling stems from a case that was revived after the US Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
