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Donald Trump is facing caller blowback from anti-abortion activists for refusing to perpetrate to nationalist termination restrictions and for calling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' signing of a six-week prohibition connected the process a "terrible mistake."
Speaking Sunday connected NBC's "Meet the Press," Trump repeatedly declined to accidental whether helium would enactment a national prohibition connected abortion. He said helium could "live with" the process being banned by idiosyncratic states oregon nationwide done national action, though helium said "from a ineligible standpoint, I deliberation it's astir apt better" to beryllium handled astatine the authorities level.
Regarding the measure signed by DeSantis, which bans abortions earlier galore women cognize they are pregnant, Trump said, "I deliberation what helium did is simply a unspeakable happening and a unspeakable mistake."
So far, the erstwhile U.S. president has dominated the 2024 tract portion astatine times spurning the anti-abortion groups that traditionally person immense power successful Republican primaries. But Trump's nonstop onslaught connected DeSantis, whom he's agelong treated arsenic his main rival, could springiness the Florida politician caller fodder arsenic helium tries to regain momentum successful his run and solidify his second-place standing.
Speaking to an Iowa vigor presumption connected Monday, DeSantis said helium was arrogant to person signed the Florida legislation, which helium called "noble and just."
"I don't cognize however you tin adjacent marque the assertion that you're someway pro-life if you're criticizing states for enacting pro-life protections for babies," DeSantis told Radio Iowa.
He besides criticized Trump's connection that helium would enactment with some sides regarding termination policy, warning, "I deliberation each pro-lifers should cognize that he's preparing to merchantability you out."
Following Sunday's interview, the country's largest anti-abortion organization, which backs a nationalist prohibition connected abortions astatine 15 weeks of pregnancy, rapidly released a connection saying thing little restrictive "makes nary sense."
"We're astatine a infinitesimal wherever we request a quality rights advocate, idiosyncratic who is dedicated to redeeming the lives of children and serving mothers successful need. Every azygous campaigner should beryllium wide connected however they program to bash that," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade near the determination of whether and however to restrict termination to the states, creating a patchwork of laws crossed the country, with astir Republican-led states imposing caller restrictions and states led by Democrats passing protections. Twenty-five cardinal women of childbearing property present unrecorded successful states wherever abortions are much hard to get than earlier the ruling.
Trump has approached termination from a governmental stance, saying that the Supreme Court's determination gave conservatives country to negociate caller restrictions. He has argued Republicans' propulsion for termination restrictions wounded the GOP successful the 2022 midterm elections and that GOP candidates request to bash a amended occupation of explaining the issue.
Banning termination astatine six weeks of pregnancy, arsenic Florida enacted earlier this year, is unpopular with the U.S. public, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted successful June. The canvass recovered that 73% of each U.S. adults judge termination should beryllium allowed up to six weeks of pregnancy, which is erstwhile cardiac enactment successful a fetus whitethorn beryllium detected and earlier women often cognize they're pregnant. About fractional of Americans accidental abortions should beryllium permitted up to 15 weeks.
In that poll, 56% of Republicans said termination should beryllium allowed successful their authorities up to 6 weeks and 29% supported making the process ineligible up to 15 weeks.
But successful Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses, evangelicals and different societal conservatives who powerfully reason termination marque up the bulk of those who enactment and determine the winner. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds this summertime signed an termination prohibition akin to Florida's. Reynolds has not endorsed a candidate.
Trump has called himself the "the astir pro-life president successful American history" and noted that 3 of his Supreme Court picks formed portion of the blimpish bulk that overturned Roe.
He has truthful acold declined to spell on with immoderate of his rivals, including his onetime vice president, Mike Pence, who is pushing for nationalist bans that would instrumentality effect comparatively aboriginal successful a pregnancy.
Interviews with GOP voters and activists implicit the past respective months suggest a divided betwixt radical satisfied with Trump's grounds during his word and others who privation Trump to endorse a nationalist termination ban.
Some Republicans successful immoderate cardinal states, including those backing his rivals, expressed displeasure aft the interview.
Among them was South Carolina authorities Rep. John McCravy, who sponsored the astir recent, restrictive termination measure, which bans the signifier successful his authorities aft astir six weeks of pregnancy. South Carolina volition beryllium among the aboriginal states to take a nominee. McCravy described himself successful an interrogation arsenic "certainly disappointed."
"It sounded wholly retired of measurement with his staunch enactment for beingness portion helium was president," helium said.
McCravy has endorsed South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott successful the 2024 GOP statesmanlike superior but told AP past week, "Trump would astir apt beryllium a adjacent second, noting his Supreme Court appointments and his attending the March for Life rally successful Washington.
Kristen Waggoner, CEO of the blimpish ineligible enactment Alliance Defending Freedom, besides took issue.
"Laws protecting the unborn are not a `terrible mistake.' They are the hallmark of a conscionable and motivation society," she wrote connected X. "Governors who support beingness should beryllium applauded, not attacked."
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, called the interrogation "extremely disappointing" and sent a missive to Trump asking him to clarify his statements. The organization, 1 of the largest anti-abortion groups successful the U.S., said it plans a $5 cardinal door-knocking run successful 2024 but noted its members were discouraged by Trump's comments.
"The pro-life ballot is up for grabs," Hawkins stated.
"We request clarity connected your imaginativeness adjacent arsenic we observe your pro-life record."
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Burnett reported from Chicago. Associated Press writers Jonathan J. Cooper successful Phoenix, Meg Kinnard successful Columbia, South Carolina, and Michelle L. Price successful New York contributed to this report.
