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Friday, May 12, 2023

Donald Trump on reproductive rights: CNN "Town Hall"

COLLINS: Mr. President. I want you to meet Julie Miles, a registered nurse from Merrimack. She’s a Republican who voted for you in 2020. Julie, what’s your question for the president?

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate you answering this question this evening. How do you plan to appeal to women voters in New Hampshire who are concerned about the Dobbs decision and how states may change their laws?


TRUMP: … it was such a great victory … Getting rid of Roe v. Wade was an incredible thing for pro-life because it gave pro-life something to negotiate with. Pro-life had absolutely nothing, being stuck in Roe v. Wade to negotiate with … for 50 years, this has been going on. I was able to do it, and I was very honored to do it. But by doing it, things are happening that are very, very positive … I consider the other side to be radical. Because the other side, under Roe v. Wade and other things, the other side, they’re radical. Because they will … “Rip the baby out of the womb at the end of the ninth month, they will kill the baby in the ninth month.” If you look at that crazy governor of Virginia … where he said, “No, the baby will be born and then we’ll decide,” essentially whether or not to execute the baby … It’s not the pro-life people that are radical…

COLLINS: … and you’re back in the Oval Office, and you get legislation to your desk, would you sign a federal abortion ban into law?


TRUMP: What I will do is negotiate so that people are happy. But the fact that we were able – I was able – I’m so proud of it …

COLLINS: So you – just to be clear – just to be clear, Mr. President, you – you would sign a federal abortion ban into law?

TRUMP: Well, I said this. I said this. I want to do what’s right. And we’re looking. And we want to do what’s right for everybody … But now, for the first time, the people that are pro-life have negotiating capability, because you didn’t have it before. They could kill the baby in the ninth month or after the baby was born. Now they won’t be able to do that …

COLLINS: But I think this is a really important question for you to answer … would you sign a federal abortion ban into law?

TRUMP: Well, … I am. First of all, I am honored to have done what I did, and a lot of people said – they said, “In 150 years, he’s now the most consequential president because he saved so many lives.” And I’m honored to have done it … And – and because of what I’ve done, we now have a great negotiating ability. That’s what I do in life. I negotiate …

COLLINS: But what do you mean “negotiating ability?” Because the question that Republicans have, and some of your allies on Capitol Hill say that they want to introduce legislation when it comes to banning abortion. If they send it to your desk, would you sign it? … Where’s President Trump?

TRUMP: President Trump is going to make a determination what he thinks is great for the country and what’s fair for the country. But the fact that I was able to terminate Roe v. Wade, after 50 years of trying – they worked for 50 years. I’ve never seen anything like it. They worked – and I was even – I was so honored to have done it. We are in a very good negotiating position right now, only because of what I was able to do.

And remember this, again, you talk about radicalism. People that will kill a baby in the ninth month or the eighth month or the seventh month, or after the baby is born, they’re the radicals, not the pro-life people.

COLLINS: I just want to give you one more chance, though, because you did not answer whether or not you’d sign a federal abortion ban or how many weeks into pregnancy you believe abortion should be banned.

TRUMP: Yeah, but I’ve given you…

COLLINS: Can you answer either of those tonight?

TRUMP: I’ve given you the answer probably four times already.

COLLINS: Which one is it, then?

TRUMP: I’m looking – I’m looking…

COLLINS: You haven’t answered it.

TRUMP: … at a solution that’s going to work – very complex issue for the country. You have people on both sides of an issue. But we are now in a very strong position. Pro-life people are in a strong position to make a deal that’s going to be good and going to be satisfactory for them … If you weren’t able to get rid of – you wouldn’t even be having a discussion if you weren’t able to get rid of Roe v. Wade, which put pro-life in a dead position, a horrible position. They could kill the baby at any time they wanted to. But we did something that nobody thought was do-able … I’ll make the right decision.
Excerpted from the full transcript for your convenience and sanity.

"Pro-life people are in a strong position to make a deal that’s going to be good and going to be satisfactory for them."
 
For THEM.

BobbyG: 
A woman's reproductive decisions are rightfully no one else's business. 
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