Just Don’t Alienate Any Voters

In case you had any doubt, committing costs votes. That’s why Donald Trump wants to leave the decision on regulating abortion to the states. But he leaves open the question of what federal regulations should look like.

Donald Trump regularly comments on many subjects, particularly controversial subjects. Immigration, crime, national defense. But until now, the nation has waited in vain for a statement on one subject: abortion. Trump has remained vague rather than speak his mind on the issue that is so central to a deeply religious America.

The right to an abortion or a ban on the procedure has mobilized the nation since June 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned precedent in place for nearly 50 years.

It’s worth noting that Trump nominated three of the nine Supreme Court justices who ruled in the 2022 case, creating a conservative majority. Since the court’s decision, the states have been in charge. A more or less complete ban on abortion is in place in 14 states, and there are extensive restrictions in half of the states.

Joe Biden has made the question of reproductive freedom a priority on his campaign agenda. And he’s done so for good reason since Democrats have used the issue to win several elections since the Supreme Court decision.

Trump knows that, too. “Without the exceptions, it is very difficult to win the elections,” he stated last fall. And that’s what it’s all about for the 77-year-old who wants to be elected in November and return to the White House.

That is why the four-minute video Trump recently aired is one thing above all—a call to his followers and other conservatives to vote for him. Given the close race with Biden, Trump needs every vote. “But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country,” he said.

Trump does not say what a reformed federal policy should look like in this situation. It would be an issue for the states. How abortion is regulated “is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith.” he said. Some states would be more conservative, others less so, in the decisions they make.

Such flexibility is convenient for Trump because committing to a position can cost votes. It speaks volumes that just hours later, the former president took on Lindsey Graham. The powerful Republican senator previously stated on X that he “respectfully disagree[d]” with Trump that only the states should decide on abortion.

A federal policy is necessary, he said. “The pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child – not geography.”

Trump countered that Graham “should proudly get on with helping Republicans to WIN ELECTIONS, rather than making it impossible for them to do so!”