Former President Trump on Wednesday took credit for bringing about the end of Roe v. Wade and for the restrictive abortion laws that have passed in the year since the Supreme Court struck the landmark decision down.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said he “was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the ‘shock’ of everyone,” and put the anti-abortion movement in a “strong negotiating position.”
“Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to,” he wrote. “Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”
The comments are sure to be used by Democrats in future attack ads, with abortion a major motivating factor for voters since the Supreme Court last June struck down Roe v. Wade and the abortion protections that came with it.
Trump nominated three of the conservative justices who voted to end Roe v. Wade: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.
“Clip and save,” Ammar Moussa, a Democratic National Committee spokesperson, tweeted with a photo of Trump’s post.
Trump’s comments came as he has avoided offering a clear answer on whether he would sign a federal abortion ban into law if elected in 2024.
During a CNN town hall last week, Trump repeatedly dodged when asked how far he’d be willing to go on a federal ban, saying only that he would work to find a solution that made sense for the country.
In an interview this week with The Messenger, Trump declined to say whether he supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signing a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
“I think that as a Florida resident, you know, he didn’t give an answer about ‘would you have signed the heartbeat bill that Florida did.’” DeSantis, who is considering challenging Trump for the GOP nomination, said in response. “He won’t answer whether he would sign it or not.”
Last month, the Trump campaign told The Washington Post that the Supreme Court’s decision to leave abortion access at the state level was the right way to go. This statement drew outrage from anti-abortion groups such as the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which has asked that all GOP presidential candidates endorse a 15-week abortion ban.
