Melania Supports Abortion While Donald Trump Advocates for State Decisions, Reports the Guardian

By Costas Pitas

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – In her upcoming memoir, Melania Trump asserts that women have the right to choose abortion, contrasting with her husband, Donald Trump, who supports state-level restrictions on the procedure.

"Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?" she writes, according to a report. Her memoir is set to be released four weeks prior to the November 5 election, where her husband will be running against Democrat Kamala Harris.

Melania Trump emphasizes, "Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life."

The memoir, titled "Melania," is scheduled for publication on October 8. A spokesperson for the former first lady did not reply to a request for comment.

Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has previously shown support for a national ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but in April acknowledged that political considerations govern this issue as it arises in the current presidential campaign following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had secured a federal right to abortion for nearly 50 years.

Trump argues that abortion laws should be left to individual states and supports exceptions for rape, incest, and situations endangering the mother’s life.

Polls indicate a competitive presidential race, particularly in seven battleground states that are expected to be pivotal for the election outcome. Democrats view abortion rights as a potent issue for Harris to leverage against Trump. A recent poll revealed that the majority of voters, including 34% of Republicans, prefer the next president to protect or expand access to abortion.

“Sadly for the women across America, Mrs. Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives," commented a spokesperson from Harris’s campaign.

Donald Trump claims credit for the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling that reversed Roe v. Wade, which had safeguarded abortion rights up to approximately 24 to 28 weeks, noting that justices he appointed influenced the decision.