Former First Lady Melania Trump defended women’s abortion rights in an excerpt of her upcoming memoir, noting it was “imperative” that “women have autonomy” to decide if they want to have children or not.
In her memoir, Melania, which is set to be released on October 8, the former first lady writes that her views about abortion rights for women come from “a core set of principles,” such as “individual liberty” and “personal freedom,” according to the Guardian, which obtained a copy of the memoir.
The former first lady notes there are “legitimate reasons for a woman to choose to have an abortion,” such as in the instance of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger from the pregnancy, according to the outlet.
“It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” Melania writes.
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.
The pro-abortion stance from the former first lady comes as the Democrats, such as President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have claimed that if her husband, former President Donald Trump is re-elected, he would enact a national abortion ban.
In a post on X in June, Biden wrote that “a vote for Trump is a vote for a national abortion ban.”
Trump has previously clarified that the issue of abortion is about “the will of the people” and has noted that it is an issue that should be left up to the states to decide.
Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump acknowledge the crowd in the Fiserv Forum on the last night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., on Thursday July 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In a video on Truth Social in April, Trump explained that “the states” would determine the issue of abortion “by vote or legislation, or perhaps both,” noting that each state would pass different forms of legislation regarding the “number of weeks” until abortions weren’t allowed.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide, must be the law of the land,” Trump said at the time.
During the vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), Trump’s vice presidential running mate, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Trump wrote in a post on X that he “would not support a federal abortion,” and added that he “fully” supports “the three exceptions” to abortion such as “rape, incest, and the life of the mother.”
EVERYONE KNOWS I WOULD NOT SUPPORT A FEDERAL ABORTION BAN, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WOULD, IN FACT, VETO IT, BECAUSE IT IS UP TO THE STATES TO DECIDE BASED ON THE WILL OF THEIR VOTERS (THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!). LIKE RONALD REAGAN BEFORE ME, I FULLY SUPPORT THE THREE EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE, INCEST, AND THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER. I DO NOT SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATS RADICAL POSITION OF LATE TERM ABORTION LIKE, AS AN EXAMPLE, IN THE 7TH, 8TH, OR 9TH MONTH OR, IN CASE THERE IS ANY QUESTION, THE POSSIBILITY OF EXECUTION OF THE BABY AFTER BIRTH. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!
Trump’s words on where he stands on the issue of abortion come after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, returning the issue down to the state lawmakers and the people to decide.
In her memoir, the former first lady added that there were reasons for “abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy,” such as if the baby had “fetal abnormalities,” according to the outlet.
She writes: “It is important to note that historically, most abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy were the result of severe fetal abnormalities that probably would have led to the death or stillbirth of the child. Perhaps even the death of the mother. These cases were extremely rare and typically occurred after several consultations between the woman and her doctor. As a community, we should embrace these common-sense standards. Again, timing matters.”
The former first lady also admits in her book that she and the former president have “occasional political disagreements,” but that she addresses them privately with him, according to the outlet.