GOP Frontrunner Donald Trump Says It's a 'Beautiful Thing to Watch' States Outlaw Abortion

In the two years after the conservative majority on the Supreme Court terminated Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights have become a hotly debated political issue. Some states have passed laws that virtually outlaw abortion, while others have passed laws that protect the freedom to choose. In a recent interview with Sean Hannity, the former President and likely Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump discussed a range of topics, including abortion, that are sure to play a significant role in the upcoming election.

Trump bragged about how he appointed three conservative judges to the Supreme Court, thus leading to the termination of the 1973 case Roe v. Wade verdict. He also criticized Democrats, calling them 'radicals' for opposing restrictions on abortions performed at later stages. Trump stated during the interview, "Now the states are deciding and by the way, in many cases, like Ohio, it became — if you want to use the word liberal or progressive — it was more liberal or progressive than people would have thought. But the people of Ohio decided. The people of Kansas decided. The people are now deciding. In some cases, they’re going the other direction but the people are deciding and in many ways, it’s a beautiful thing to watch."

Then, the Biden campaign shared the interview on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote along with the video, "Trump says states passing abortion bans forcing teenage rape survivors to give birth is “a beautiful thing to watch.”" As such, users shared their mixed reactions on the post as one slammed the current POTUS, "Biden was in the Senate in 1973 when Roe was decided. He and your party had a half-century to codify it. You all instead kept the issue alive as a political talking point. Don't whine now that your gambit failed."

Another user chimed in, "The crazy thing is, he doesn't care one way or the other. He's just stumping for votes from the far right religious sector." Professor Robert Reich also tweeted, "I don't say this often, but Donald Trump is telling the truth about at least one thing. He is responsible for getting Roe v. Wade overturned, resulting in abortion being banned in much of the country. Remember, abortion bans aren't pro-life. They're pro-poverty & pro-inequality." 

Interestingly, Trump also claimed during the interview, "Hard to believe, they have some states passing legislation where you can execute the baby after birth. It’s crazy." As per CNN, it was a false claim entirely, and there is currently no legislation in any state that permits the killing of a newborn. Nonetheless, even when states controlled by the Republican Party pass stringent abortion laws, Trump has maintained that the matter should be decided at the state level via legislation or referendums. Unfortunately, this has led to criticism, particularly from conservatives who were disappointed that the former President did not support a minimum federal requirement for abortion eligibility.

On Monday, Trump will participate virtually at an event held by the Danbury Institute, which promotes the use of the Bible as a policy framework and opposes same-sex marriage. The planned visit comes as Trump attempts to win over supporters who are ideologically opposed to abortion in all or almost all cases while still appealing to a wider demographic that supports expanding access to the procedure.