Q&A of the Day – Donald Trump’s Position on Florida’s Amendment 4
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Today’s Entry: Brian, what’s the truth? Is Trump really going to vote for the FL abortion amendment? If he endorses it, it will pass.
Bottom Line: There’s been a lot of confusion and at times misinformation about former President Donald Trump’s position on Florida’s Amendment 4...the amendment that would allow abortion up to the point of “viability” as determined by a health care provider in Florida. The confusion kicked in last week when a reporter asked Trump a question about the amendment – followed by false reporting regarding Trump’s statement. The confusion continued with Trump’s campaign stating that he’d yet to take a position on the amendment, but then settled when Trump made his position on the abortion amendment clear. Here’s what happened and where Trump stands on Florida’s Amendment 4.
Last Thursday an NBC News reporter asked Donald Trump how he will vote on Amendment 4, after he’d repeatedly stated that he would not sign a federal abortion law, leaving the decision on abortion policy with the states. Trump first criticized Florida’s current law limiting abortions after six weeks by saying: I think the six weeks is too short. It has to be more time. When the reporter pressed him for an answer on his vote for Amendment 4 he said: I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. That’s what set off a firestorm in conservative and specifically prolife circles as it was interpreted by many to mean that he would be voting in favor of Amendment 4. That also spurred reports to the effect as well which led to his campaign to respond shortly after his comments with this message: President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short.
The campaign’s statement didn’t do much to quell the concerns by many in the prolife community, with many also wondering how or why it was that Trump wouldn’t have come to a decision about how he intended to vote on the amendment, and so on Friday in an interview with Fox News, Trump clarified his position on Florida’s abortion amendment by saying this: So I think six weeks, you need more time than six weeks. I’ve disagreed with that right from the early primaries when I heard about it. At the same time, the Democrats are radical, because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation where you can do an abortion in the ninth month. ... So I’ll be voting no for that reason.
Many in the prolife community may still disagree with the former and perhaps future president’s position on abortion, however what he has expressed is consistent with his long-stated position on the issue. Trump had previously paid rhetorical support to 15-week limits on abortion, a la Florida’s 2022 law, which was passed with the anticipation of the Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade, which it did only two months later. However, the former president has consistently been critical of Florida’s 2023 law limiting abortions to six weeks. Among his comments at the time were these: I think what he did (referring to Governor DeSantis signing Florida’s six-week abortion limit into law) is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.
Abortion was clearly an issue Democrats were successful in exploiting in the 2022 midterm elections. It’s an issue Democrats are seeking to exploit yet again in this election cycle. Nine states, including Florida, have abortion ballot amendments this November. Donald Trump finds himself in the middle of that conversation. That’s due to Roe v. Wade having been overturned due to the ruling of his appointed Supreme Court justices – which he has consistently supported. But it’s also due to his home state now having a ballot measure which would essentially allow abortions on demand if passed.
Despite regular efforts by his adversaries politically (and their allies in news media) to paint Trump as inconsistent on the issue since the Supreme Court sent the issue back to the states, he has been consistent in his position. Donald Trump believes states should regulate abortion policies and his personal preference is for a 15-week limit. With that said, Trump still finds himself at odds with many in his prolife base given that his stated preference for abortion limits is 15-weeks, as opposed to six-weeks, however he will be voting along with Florida’s prolife constituency on Amendment 4.