Trump To Seek Abortion Punishment For Women, Not Men: Women Still Love Him
In perhaps his most controversial statement yet, Republican Presidential front-runner Donald Trump says he wants to see abortion banned in the United States, and that he wishes to see women who seek it be punished. He was unclear what kind of punishment that would entail, but said that he did not think men who aided and abetted a woman in seeking an abortion should get the same type of penalty or punishment. He initially tried to answer the question that has been dividing America for more than four decades by not answering it, but when pushed to answer, he agreed that most Republicans, himself included, thought that abortion should be illegal and women should be punished if they seek or illegally obtain one.
” (I) would say it’s a very serious problem and it’s a problem we have to decide on. There has to be some kind of punishment.”
And what of the men who seek an abortion for their partner? Chris Matthews of MSNBC asked Trump if they should bear the same responsibility. Trump said they should not.
“No. I don’t think so.”
He did not elaborate on why he thought men would have less culpability if there was, indeed, a federal abortion ban in the United States. He continued to question Matthews on the Catholic religion’s view of abortion instead.
Later in the day on Wednesday, Trump’s headquarters sent out a press release about who would be ultimately responsible if indeed Roe. Vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision, was revoked, and abortion in the U.S was once again made illegal.
“If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this 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. My position has not changed — like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions.”
As confusing as those two conflicting statements may be, Trump says he has not switched his position on abortion or whether it should be illegal in the United States.
“You’ll go back to a position like they had where people will, perhaps, go to illegal places. You have to ban it.”
Still, he says he has no idea what the punishment would be – whether it be days or years in jail. Then, later in the day, his headquarters said only the doctor should be held responsible, and the woman who pursued and obtained an illegal abortion was a “victim.” Donald Trump continues to say he is “pro-life” but is not easily able to expound about what constitutes “pro-life” versus murder and the areas in between such as rape, incest, and life of the mother. He continues to soften his words as time goes on, having no comment at all now about the father of the aborted baby or what his legal punishment would be, if anything, if he assists the mother to obtain a theoretically illegal abortion.
Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is “horrified” at the comment, as are many democratic and republicans alike. Despite his lack of command on heavy topics like abortion, Trump continues to be a favorite with women, with a recent Reuters poll showing that more than 50 percent of women view him “very favorably,” according to Huff Politics.
One thing is for certain – with the controversial words that continue to come from Donald Trump, nobody expects his publicity to waiver anytime soon. How that will work in his favor remains to be seen.
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
