Trump Supports Women's 'Reproductive Rights' and Portrays His Administration is 'Great' for Them

On Friday, former president Donald Trump's yet another Truth Social post caused quite a stir. Trump shared on the platform, "My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights." Additionally, in a separate post, doubling down on his assertions, he asserted, "The Republican Party is charging forward on many fronts, and I am very proud that we are a LEADER on I.V.F."

As per The New York Times, by using the exact phrase— 'reproductive rights'— as used by those who support abortion rights, Trump seems to be trying to rebrand himself as somewhat in favor of the same; as a political moderate on an issue that could hurt his chances of being re-elected in November. His stance on abortion has changed several times throughout this election cycle, as it has done over the years (both before and after he became a politician).

For instance, in an October 1999 appearance on Meet the Press, Trump said, "I am very pro-choice. I hate the concept of abortion....I just believe in choice. Again, it may be a little bit of a New York background, because there [are] some different attitude[s] in some different parts of the country...I was raised in New York and grew up and worked and everything else in New York City. But I am strongly pro-choice." His pledge to cut funding to Planned Parenthood was brought up throughout his 2015 presidential campaign. Trump told CNN at the time, "I would look at the good aspects of it and I would also look, because I’m sure they do some things properly and good, good for women, and I would look at that."

Following his election, Trump voiced his support for anti-abortion laws. As reported by The Washington Post, to outlaw the majority of abortions performed after 20 weeks of gestation, he backed a measure in the House called the 'Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act'. Additionally, Trump ended the 1973 Supreme Court decision that ensured federal safeguards for abortion for all women. He has on many occasions taken credit for the same. On June 24, 2022, Roe v. Wade was overruled by the Supreme Court by judges placed by the Republican leader. However, he later wavered and tried to distance himself from the highly unpopular decision. 

On Truth Social, he defends himself after the 2022 midterms. He shared at the time, "It was the 'abortion issue,' poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on 'no exceptions', even in the case of rape, incest, or life of the mother, that lost large numbers of voters. Also, the people that pushed so hard, for decades, against abortion, got their wish from the U.S. Supreme Court and just plain disappeared, not to be seen again."

Now that Trump has positioned himself as an advocate for abortion rights, many on social media are responding with scorn. One critic shared on X, "With a straight face #realDonaldTrump, the man who has constantly crowed about overturning Roe vs Wade, said today on his web platform, 'My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.' Huh??"

Another user echoed, "Is this a joke? Trump said it was up to the government in the state, probably mostly male politicians, to determine a woman's reproductive rights. What kind of freedom is that? The government needs to stay the hell out of our business, whether it's state or federal! Let people decide for themselves." In a similar vein, a person stated, "Who does this help? People on the Left will call him a liar. People on the Right, a traitor. Who is he appealing to here?"