Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump once again is seizing headlines for his comments on abortion and who should be punished for abortion should it be made illegal by federal law, as Mr. Trump and his nearest rival Senator Ted Cruz of Texas wish to do.
Mr. Trump, in a town hall-style interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews said that he was “pro-life”, and that confirmed that he would seek to make abortion illegal, thereby overturning the Supreme Court’s decision in the 1973 Roe v. Wade case. But it is what he said next that has the entire political world in an uproar.
Mr. Matthews asked if a woman should be punished for having an abortion. Mr. Trump seemed to try and dodge the question. But Mr. Matthews pressed the issue, insinuating that if abortion would be illegal it would require some punishment. Mr. Trump would state, “People in certain parts of the Republican Party and conservative Republicans would say ‘Yes, they should be punished.’” Mr. Matthews would ask Mr. Trump his position, to which the candidate would say it was a very serious problem, one that would need to be decided. Mr. Matthews seemed to again attempt to get a clearer answer on the question before Mr. Trump tried to deflect the inquiry back at Mr. Matthews, questioning the interviewer’s Catholic faith. Mr. Matthews appeared to dismiss Mr. Trump’s deflection and tried to press the question again. Mr. Trump then said that there would need to be some form of punishment for abortion. Mr. Matthews then asked, “For the woman?” Mr. Trump then responded, “Yeah. There has to be some form.” Mr. Matthews then asked what form that punishment would be and Mr. Trump said he did not know.
It was that last quote that sparked the powder-keg. Mr. Trump’s main rival, Sen. Cruz, jumped on the quote almost immediately, saying on Facebook, “Once again Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn’t seriously thought through the issues, and he’ll say anything just to get attention.” Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton retweeted Mr. Trump’s comments, adding “Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse.” Even pro-life organizations slammed Mr. Trump, with the president of the pro-life Match of Life Education and Defense Fund, Mrs. Jeanne Mancini, saying, “Being pro-life means wanting what is best for the mother and the baby. No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion. This is against the very nature of what we are about.”
The firestorm caused Mr. Trump to walk back his initial position, which is something he rarely does. He issued a statement through his campaign saying, “If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld the legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case, as is the life in her womb.” Mr. Trump, invoking Republican president Ronald Reagan would also add, “My position has not changed – like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions.”
Christopher Witt
Reporter