Trump says abortion laws should be decided by US states

Former US President Donald Trump has said abortion rights should be left to individual states to decide – as they have been since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022.

His comments have drawn criticism from both liberals and conservatives. Many in his Republican Party had wanted him to back a nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Since Roe v Wade was overturned, abortion has become a contentious issue in the US. Several states have moved to tighten restrictions which have seen voters throw their support behind abortion rights in swing states like Michigan and even deep-red states like Kentucky.

Roe v Wade overturned – ‘You must follow your heart’

In his video, Trump declared: “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint; the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both.”

Trump said he was “proudly the person responsible” for overturning Roe v Wade – taking away the constitutional right of American women to have abortions.

In his statement, he acknowledged this would create a piecemeal situation: “Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others.

But he said it came down to “the will of the people”, adding: “You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith.”

Trump added that he was in favour of exceptions when rape or incest were involved, or the life of the mother was in danger.