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Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sen. JD Vance suggested that former President Donald Trump would veto any federal legislation banning abortion nationwide—an indication of how the 45th president is attempting to distance himself from hardliners within his party on this divisive issue.
Since April, Trump, 78, has consistently stated that he would defer to the states on the controversial procedure. However, Democrats have continued to accuse him of planning a national ban, particularly after he took credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
When NBC’s Kristen Welker asked Vance whether a President Trump would veto a federal abortion ban, Vance responded:
“I can absolutely commit that, Kristen. Donald Trump has been as clear about that as possible,” Vance (R-Ohio), 40, said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” airing Sunday.
“Donald Trump wants to end this culture war over this particular topic,” he continued. “We want the federal government to focus on these big economic and immigration questions. Let the states figure out their own abortion policy.”
A flood of polls has shown that abortion is one of Trump’s most significant vulnerabilities heading into the Nov. 5 presidential election, and the former president has been eager to mitigate that weakness.
During the Democratic National Convention last week, Vice President Kamala Harris alleged that Trump “and his allies” would “ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban with or without Congress.”
Shortly after Harris’ remarks, Trump raised eyebrows on Truth Social, stating, “My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.”
Trump finds himself in a challenging position on abortion, trying not to alienate independent voters while also not distancing himself too much from his base, which includes many anti-abortion voters.
Democrats have emphasized Trump’s past comments on abortion, such as his boast that “I was able to kill Roe v. Wade.” The former president has often focused on late-term abortions, which polls generally show to be less popular with the public.
“I think he’s been very clear he would not support it,” Vance said when asked about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) push for a federal ban. Graham has advocated for a 15-week ban.
“I think he would. He said that explicitly that he would,” Vance added when pressed on whether Trump would veto such legislation.
Trump had privately considered different middle-ground approaches to abortion before publicly calling for the states to take the lead in April. While opposing federal intervention, he also expressed opposition to a near-total ban in Arizona, which was later overturned.
Back in 2018, Trump urged Congress to pass a 20-week ban on the procedure.
Vance has a long history of opposing abortion, but since joining the Trump ticket, he has avoided any daylight between his views and those of the 45th president.
“There’s something comparable between abortion and slavery, and that while the people who obviously suffer the most are those subjected to it, I think it has this morally distorting effect on the entire society,” Vance said in a 2022 interview.
Other Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence and several anti-abortion groups, have expressed frustration with Trump’s evolving stance on abortion.
