Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was open to supporting regulations on contraception and that his campaign would release a policy on the issue 含羞草研究社渧ery shortly,含羞草研究社� comments that he later said were misinterpreted.
The comments, made during an interview with a Pittsburgh television station, suggested that a future Trump administration might consider imposing mandates or supporting state restrictions on such highly personal decisions as whether women can have access to birth control. During an interview with KDKA News, Trump was asked, 含羞草研究社淒o you support any restrictions on a person含羞草研究社檚 right to contraception?含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e looking at that and I含羞草研究社檓 going to have a policy on that very shortly,含羞草研究社� Trump responded, according to a video of the interview that was briefly posted online before it was supposed to air, then taken down.
The likely Republican presidential nominee was pressed in a follow-up question if that meant he may want to support some restrictions on contraception.
含羞草研究社淭hings really do have a lot to do with the states, and some states are going to have different policy than others,含羞草研究社� Trump responded, before repeating that he would be releasing 含羞草研究社渁 very comprehensive policy含羞草研究社� on the issue.
This is the first time Trump has suggested he would have a policy on contraception since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a national right to abortion two years ago, touching off political battles about aspects of reproductive rights, including contraception and in vitro fertilization.
Responding later to media reports of his interview, Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he 含羞草研究社渉as never and will never含羞草研究社� advocate for restricting birth control and other contraceptives. Even so, the Biden campaign was quick to seize on the interview.
含羞草研究社淲omen across the country are already suffering from Donald Trump含羞草研究社檚 post-Roe nightmare, and if he wins a second term, it含羞草研究社檚 clear he wants to go even further by restricting access to birth control and emergency contraceptives,含羞草研究社� Biden-Harris spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement.
Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate have long pressed Trump on the crucial question of whether he would allow women to access the abortion pill mifepristone via the mail. He has yet to make clear his views on the Comstock Act, a 19th century law that has been revived by anti-abortion groups seeking to block the mailing of mifepristone and other abortion medications.
When asked during an April 12 interview with Time magazine for his views on the Comstock Act and the mailing of abortion pills, the former president promised to make a statement on the issue in the next 14 days, saying 含羞草研究社淚 feel very strongly about it. I actually think it含羞草研究社檚 a very important issue.含羞草研究社�
During an April 27 follow-up interview, Trump said he would announce his stance 含羞草研究社渙ver the next week or two.含羞草研究社� It含羞草研究社檚 now been three weeks since the interviews were published on April 30 and over five weeks since the GOP front-runner told the magazine he would release a statement.
When asked by The Associated Press for an update on when the announcement would be made, campaign officials reiterated a statement that reaffirms Trump含羞草研究社檚 strategy of deferring to individual states on abortion. They did not give an updated timeline for a policy statement on medication abortion.
含羞草研究社淧resident Trump has long been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions on abortion,含羞草研究社� the statement said.
Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Trump含羞草研究社檚 allies have already 含羞草研究社渙utlined exactly how they plan to eliminate abortion access nationwide with or without Congress.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲e know Trump含羞草研究社檚 playbook because we含羞草研究社檝e seen it,含羞草研究社� she said in a statement. 含羞草研究社淭rump overturned Roe, brags about it constantly, and is proud of the horrific reality where women含羞草研究社檚 lives are at risk, doctors are threatened with jail time, and IVF and birth control access are under attack.含羞草研究社�
Trump has often relied on the tactic of promising an announcement on a major policy stance in 含羞草研究社渢wo weeks含羞草研究社� but not delivering, including on issues such as minimum wage, tax policy and infrastructure. Abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion groups alike have expressed frustration with the delay.
含羞草研究社淚 imagine the events in New York City have been very distracting, but we are watching for an announcement,含羞草研究社� said Kristi Hamrick, spokesperson for the anti-abortion group Students for Life, referring to the former president含羞草研究社檚 hush money trial.
Hamrick said the group has been speaking with Trump含羞草研究社檚 team about what can be done to restrict abortion at the federal level.
Mini Timmaraju, president of the abortion rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, pointed to the GOP含羞草研究社檚 Project 2025 playbook 含羞草研究社� a blueprint for ways to reshape the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win in 2024. The Comstock Act is not explicitly mentioned in the plan, but it calls for reversing FDA approval of mifepristone and restricting 含羞草研究社渕ail order abortions.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭rump will say whatever he wants, but what really matters is what he did 含羞草研究社� and that含羞草研究社檚 to facilitate ending the constitutional right to abortion and set state abortion bans into motion,含羞草研究社� she said.
At least 22 states require abortion medication to be delivered in person either by prohibiting mail delivery or requiring medication to be taken in a doctor含羞草研究社檚 office, though such laws have been temporarily blocked from going into effect in Kentucky, Montana and Ohio amid legal battles, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.
Christine Fernando, The Associated Press
