Melania Trump doubles down on pro-abortion stance, says husband 'let me be my own person'
Former first lady Melania Trump is doubling down on her support for abortion as she asserted that her husband, former President Donald Trump, has known about her position on the matter since the two first met and encouraged her to be authentic in a new memoir.
Melania Trump sat down with Fox News' Maria Bartiromo for an interview that aired on "Sunday Morning Futures" Sunday, two days before the release of her memoir, Melania. The book shares her support for ensuring that abortion remains legal and accessible in the United States.
Bartiromo read aloud the excerpt of the book that made headlines last week, which declares, "It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference in having children based on their own convictions, free from intervention or pressure from government." She asked the former first lady if she had "spoken to President Trump about that" before including it in the memoir.
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"Yes," she responded. "He knew my position and my beliefs since the day we met, and I believe in individual freedom. I want to decide what I want to do with my body. I think I don't want government in my personal business."
The former first lady suggested that "timing really matters," implying support for "restrictions" on abortion at certain points in pregnancy. Bartiromo noted that the book's publication comes less than one month before the 2024 presidential election, where former President Trump hopes to harness support from the pro-life movement that is vehemently opposed to abortion in his bid to return to the White House.
Insisting "that was not written in the last week or the last month," Melania Trump stressed, "That was my belief, and it is my belief, and I wanted to put it in the book because I want to be authentic."
When asked how she thought her husband and the Republican Party have "handled this issue," the former first lady reiterated that she had his blessing to include her beliefs about abortion in the book:
"He knew it would be in the book. He let me be who I am, and he let me believe what I believe. He let me be my own person."
"I let him be his own person," she added. "He has different beliefs, and he will do what he believes."
Melania Trump's beliefs on abortion have raised additional concerns about her husband's position on the issue.
While the former president has repeatedly expressed gratitude that the U.S. Supreme Court, including three of the justices he appointed, voted to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, he has also vowed that he would not sign a federal abortion ban if he won the 2024 presidential election.
Trump has drawn the ire of pro-life organizations for characterizing Florida's ban on abortion after six weeks gestation as "terrible." While the former president suggested that he might vote in favor of a ballot measure that would overturn the Florida abortion ban and establish a right to abortion in the Florida Constitution, he later clarified that he intended to vote against it.
In an NBC News interview, Trump expressed support for the idea of taxpayer-funded in-vitro fertilization. Viewed by supporters as an infertility treatment, some in the pro-life movement see the procedure as in the same category as abortion because it results in the creation of many embryos that are often frozen and sometimes destroyed.
While pro-life advocacy organizations have expressed concern about Melania Trump's beliefs about abortion, some have acknowledged that the election still amounts to a choice between Trump and the outspoken abortion rights supporter Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@ Trump has also drawn tchristianpost.com
