Former first lady Melania Trump on Sunday defended her beliefs on abortion, which she detailed in her upcoming memoir and which appear to conflict with the beliefs of her husband, former President Donald Trump.
“[Donald Trump] He knew my position and beliefs from the day we met. I believe in individual freedom. I want to decide what I want to do with my body. “I think I don’t want the government in my personal business,” Melania Trump said during a pre-taped interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.
Her statements come days after The Guardian newspaper published excerpts from her book, in which she wrote: “It is necessary to ensure that women enjoy the independence in deciding their preference to have children, based on their own convictions, without any interference or pressure from the government.” “.
Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to decide what she does with her body? She added in her upcoming memoir, “Melania,”: “A woman’s fundamental right to individual freedom, in her private life, gives her the power to terminate her pregnancy if she so desires.”
The former first lady also expressed her beliefs in a promotional video for the book that was posted on X last week.
“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I stand by. There is no doubt that there is no room for compromise when it comes to this basic right that all women have from birth,” Melania Trump said in the video.
“Individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?” she added.
Last week — roughly a month before Election Day — marked the first time the former first lady publicly shared her views on abortion, a particularly prominent issue heading into November as Democrats try to paint Donald Trump as someone who would seek to ban abortion if he were to be. elected.
Follow live updates on the 2024 elections
Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 15, 2022. Joe Raedle file/Getty Images
In an interview on Sunday, Melania Trump addressed the questions she faced after announcing her views so close to the election, telling Bartiromo: “Well, this wasn’t written last week or last month. … This book was written months ago, and it was printed months ago. So this was My belief, this is my belief, and I wanted to put it in the book, because I want to be original.
Asked by Bartiromo if she was concerned that voters might change their minds about her husband because of her views, the former first lady said: “I’m not worried. Everyone has to decide what they want to do.”
The former first lady said Donald Trump “knew” her position would be in the book, adding: “He’s allowed me to be who I am, and he’s let me believe what I believe. He’s allowed me to be my own person. And he respects that, and I respect that because “I allow him to be his own person with different beliefs and he will do what he believes.”
Melania Trump’s comments were consistent with her husband’s comments to Fox News on Thursday, in which he said: “We talked about it, and I said, ‘You have to write what you believe.’ I won’t tell you what to do. You have to write what you believe.
“She is very loved,” he added. “People love the former first lady, I can tell you that, but I said, ‘You have to stick to your heart.’” “I’ve told everyone: You have to go with your heart.”
Earlier this week, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he would veto an abortion ban if one came across his desk as president. The former president’s views on this issue have continually evolved.
In May 2023, Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, writing in a social media post, “After 50 years of failure, with no one even coming close, I have eliminated Roe v. Wade, pretty much.” . A shock to everyone.
When he was president, Trump called on the Senate to pass a 20-week limit on abortions, a limit the House had already passed.
Earlier this year, the former president introduced a federal abortion limit of 15 weeks. “The number of weeks now – people agree on 15 weeks, and I’m thinking about that, we’ll come up with something that’s very reasonable. But people actually – even the hardliners agree on that – it seems like 15 weeks, it seems to be a number,” he said in a radio interview with WABC. People agree on it.”
In August, Trump told NBC News that Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law, was “too short.” “There has to be more time,” Trump added.
Days later, he made clear that he would vote against a ballot initiative in Florida this year that would guarantee the right to abortion until the fetus remains alive.
