Here Are All The Confusing Things Donald Trump Has Said On Abortion
Two nights ago in Wisconsin, Donald Trump declared that women who get abortions undergo “some form of punishment” if they become illegal. But Donald Trump has said a lot of things about abortion. And they usually contradict one another. Here’s a look at the varying statements Trump has made on abortion over the past fifteen years.
He Said Doctors Who Perform Abortions Will Need To Be Punished
“If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed — like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions.”
But He Used Ronald Reagan to Validate His Changing Opinions in 2015
“I’ve evolved on many issues over the years. And you know who else has? Is Ronald Reagan evolved on many issues. And I am pro-life. And if you look at the question, I was in business. They asked me a question as to pro-life or choice. I hate the concept of abortion. And then since then, I’ve very much evolved.”
Which Is Also When He Said He’s Against Abortion Because He Met An Awesome Non-Aborted Child
“What happened is friends of mine years ago were going to have a child, and it was going to be aborted. And it wasn’t aborted. And that child today is a total superstar, a great, great child. And I saw that. And I saw other instances. And I am very, very proud to say that I am pro-life.”
But He’s Also Said He’s Pro-Choice
“Well, I’m very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion. I hate it. I hate everything it stands for. I cringe when I listen to people debate the subject. But I just believe in choice.”
And There’s That One Time He said Planned Parenthood Does Good Work
“We have to help women. We have to look at the positives for Planned Parenthood…they do some good things. I’ve had many Republican Conservative women say that Planned Parenthood serves a good function, other than that one aspect [of abortion.]”
But He Doesn’t Really Understand The Pro-Choice Argument
In response to MSNBC’s Savannah Guthrie’s question of whether he understood the connection in conversations between privacy and abortion—which is what the definitive Supreme Court ruling on abortion, Roe Vs. Wade, is based on—Trump responded:
“Well, that’s a pretty strange way of getting to pro-life. I mean, it’s a very unique way of asking about pro-life. What does that have to do with privacy? How are you equating pro-life with privacy?”
Moral of the story? Donald Trump is not a MASSIVE FAN of abortion. Like most people. But when it comes to whether abortion should be legal, he changes his opinions based on whatever outcome he’s looking for at the time. As he said in 1999, Donald Trump is all about business. Right now he wants to piss people off, so he’s saying crazy things. But that doesn’t mean they’re not confusing..
