On Tuesday, Donald Trump firmly denied any intentions of supporting restrictions on contraception, countering criticism sparked by a recent interview where he seemed to hint at such possibilities.
“I HAVE NEVER, AND WILL NEVER ADVOCATE IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON BIRTH CONTROL, or other contraceptives. This is a Democrat fabricated lie,” Trump proclaimed on Truth Social.
“I DO NOT SUPPORT A BAN ON BIRTH CONTROL, AND NEITHER WILL THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!”
This assertion followed the Biden-Harris campaign’s spotlight on a snippet from a Pittsburgh TV interview in which Trump, 77, appeared to be considering limits on morning-after pills.
“We’re looking at that, and I’m going to have a policy on that very shortly, and I think it’s something that you’ll find interesting,” Trump said to KDKA political analyst Jon Delano when asked about his stance on potential restrictions.
“You will find it very smart. I think it’s a smart decision,” Trump hinted, adding that the policy details would be revealed soon.
Delano had specifically brought up morning-after pills, which prevent pregnancy if taken shortly after intercourse.
These pills are a contentious topic among certain religious conservatives and anti-abortion advocates but are distinct from abortion procedures which terminate a pregnancy.
In the preceding month, Trump had distanced himself from traditional Republican abortion policies, emphasizing state jurisdiction over such matters. He also criticized Arizona’s stringent abortion law, calling it excessive for banning all abortions except those necessary to save the pregnant person’s life.
During the KDKA interview, Trump, who is campaigning for a return to the White House, suggested a similar state-level approach for contraception.
“Things really do have a lot to do with the states, and some states are gonna have different policies than others,” he commented.
The Biden-Harris campaign swiftly condemned Trump’s statements, questioning, “How is the answer to that [contraceptive] question not immediately, ‘No?’”
“Women across the country are already suffering from Donald Trump’s post-Roe nightmare, and if he wins a second term, it’s clear he wants to go even further by restricting access to birth control and emergency contraceptives,” asserted Sarafina Chitika, a representative of the Biden-Harris campaign.
“While Trump works overtime to roll back the clock and rip away women’s freedoms, President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting nonstop to protect access to birth control and women’s right to make their own personal health care decisions.”
Trump recently told TIME Magazine about his impending policy announcement regarding mifepristone, a drug used in medical abortions, which is currently under Supreme Court review.
“I am for helping women,” Trump told TIME. “You probably saw that the IVF came out very well.
“And, you know, I set a policy on it, and the Republicans immediately adopted the policy,” he mentioned regarding his support for making in-vitro fertilization more accessible.