APPLETON, Wis. — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Wednesday that there “has to be some form of punishment” for abortion if it were banned in the U.S. — as he says it should be — and that punishment should fall on the woman.
Trump, who is currently struggling with women voters, was pressed on the issue of abortion during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, set to air Wednesday evening.
Matthews asked whether abortion should be punished, and Trump initially skated around the issue. He said some Republicans would say it should be, and that he “would say it’s a very serious problem and it’s a problem we have to decide on.”
He then asked Matthews — but didn’t answer himself — “Are you going to, say, put them to jail?” and added he was anti-abortion and that “you have to ban” abortion.
“There has to be some form of punishment,” Trump said, adding “Yeah” when Matthews asked if he meant for the woman. The host asked if that punishment would be closer to 10 days or 10 years, and Trump said he didn’t know.
Trump indicated he would be far more lenient on the man who impregnated a woman who had an abortion — he said he did not think they would bear the same level of responsibility.
The Trump campaign quickly tried to walk back his comments afterward, saying the matter should be decided by the states. Later, Trump put out a statement that said his position was unchanged, but contradicted his past statements entirely:
More: TRUMP UNHINGED: 'PUNISHMENT' FOR WOMEN WHO ABORT
The video clearly shows that Trump can't even handle pressure from Chris Matthews - so how could he possibly handle pressure from world leaders like Putin? Trump likes to brag about being a world class negotiator - which he is clearly not. He chokes under pressure. Trump wants to force women back into dark alleys - and then also wants to punish them.
Trump, who is currently struggling with women voters, was pressed on the issue of abortion during an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, set to air Wednesday evening.
Matthews asked whether abortion should be punished, and Trump initially skated around the issue. He said some Republicans would say it should be, and that he “would say it’s a very serious problem and it’s a problem we have to decide on.”
He then asked Matthews — but didn’t answer himself — “Are you going to, say, put them to jail?” and added he was anti-abortion and that “you have to ban” abortion.
“There has to be some form of punishment,” Trump said, adding “Yeah” when Matthews asked if he meant for the woman. The host asked if that punishment would be closer to 10 days or 10 years, and Trump said he didn’t know.
Trump indicated he would be far more lenient on the man who impregnated a woman who had an abortion — he said he did not think they would bear the same level of responsibility.
The Trump campaign quickly tried to walk back his comments afterward, saying the matter should be decided by the states. Later, Trump put out a statement that said his position was unchanged, but contradicted his past statements entirely:
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.
More: TRUMP UNHINGED: 'PUNISHMENT' FOR WOMEN WHO ABORT
The video clearly shows that Trump can't even handle pressure from Chris Matthews - so how could he possibly handle pressure from world leaders like Putin? Trump likes to brag about being a world class negotiator - which he is clearly not. He chokes under pressure. Trump wants to force women back into dark alleys - and then also wants to punish them.
Last edited:
