Former US president Donald Trump, who took credit on Monday for appointing conservative justices to the US supreme court who in 2022 overturned Roe v Wade, which had guaranteed the constitutional right to an abortion. Photograph: Jefferson Siegel/New York TimesDonald Trump has declined to back a national abortion ban, in a move likely to disappoint more hardline groups but reassure Republicans concerned that the party’s stance could hurt their chances in November’s election.
“The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land, in this case, the law of the state,” Mr Trump said in a video on the site. “At the end of the day, it is all about will of the people. Now it is up to the states to do the right thing.”
“You must follow your heart on this issue,” Mr Trump said. “But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture, and in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly a nation in decline.” The supreme court’s 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which gave states the right to set abortion policies, split the country. More than a dozen states have since enacted hardline abortion laws banning the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, when most women do not realise they are pregnant.