Former President Donald Trump clarified Friday he will vote against a Florida constitutional amendment that would make abortion legal before fetal viability, effectively supporting the current law that bans abortion after six weeks.
Trump cleared the air a day after he criticized the Sunshine State’s six-week abortion ban and appeared to suggest he was open to voting in favor of the ballot measure aimed at overturning the law.
“I think 6 weeks, you need more time than 6 weeks. I’ve disagreed with that from the early primaries when I heard about,” Trump told Fox News in a Friday interview before his Pennsylvania rally.
“At the same time, the Democrats are radical because the 9 months is just a ridiculous situation. You can do an abortion in the 9th month,” Trump went on.
“Some of the states like Minnesota and other states have it where you could actually execute the baby after birth — All of that stuff is unacceptable so I will be voting no for that reason.”
Floridians will vote on Amendment 4 in November, which would provide a state constitutional right to abortion before viability.
The measure will require 60% of voters to agree to the measure to pass.
The former president, a Florida resident, first commented on Thursday that he thought the current 6-week law is “too short,” sparking speculation that he would vote for the amendment.
“I think the six weeks is too short. It has to be more time,” Trump told NBC News. “I want more weeks.”
“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” Trump added on Thursday.
His campaign quickly issued a statement following his remarks clarifying that he did not yet indicate how he would be voting on the amendment.
“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
He has also previously spoken out against the 6-week ban, which was signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in April of last year, calling it a “terrible mistake.”
