Former first lady Melania Trump revealed that she is a staunch supporter of abortion rights in an excerpt released Wednesday from her forthcoming memoir — a day after her husband, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, vowed he would veto a federal abortion ban, should Congress pass one.
Melania, 54, wrote a long and passionate defense of a woman’s right to have an abortion in her soon-to-be-published memoir — a stunning rebuttal of the Republican party’s long-held anti-abortion stance.
“It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” she wrote in her memoir, according to The Guardian, which received an advance copy.
The mom of one spoke about the health risks women often face during pregnancy and childbirth — making it imperative that they be able to decide whether to carry their pregnancy to term on their own.
“Many women opt for abortions due to personal medical concerns,” the notoriously private Trump wrote in her memoir “Melania.”
“These situations with significant moral implications weigh heavily on the woman and her family and deserve our empathy. Consider, for example, the complexity inherent in the decision of whether the mother should risk her own life to give birth.”
Multiple women have experienced life-threatening complications after they were unable to quickly and safely get medically necessary abortions and reproductive care in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade.
Former president Trump, 78, said Tuesday that he doesn’t support a nationwide ban and would veto one should Congress put one on his desk if elected.
“Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it, because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters,” Trump posted on X in all caps.
He added that he supports abortion in cases of rape, incest and risk to the mother’s life.
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He and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance both say they want individual states to decide whether to make abortion legal or illegal — and in some cases, criminal — for their residents.
Vance, 40, has previously said he supports a full nationwide abortion ban but has recently changed positions, stating that the Republican Party needs “to do so much better of a job at earning the American people’s trust back on the issue where they, frankly, just don’t trust us” during the VP debate Tuesday night against Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Health concerns aside, Melania Trump wrote that the issue of abortion simply comes down to “individual liberty” and “personal freedom.”
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” she wrote, according to The Guardian.
“Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”
Melania said giving women the right to choose over what happens to their own bodies and lives is just common sense.
“I have always believed it is critical for people to take care of themselves first,” she wrote. “It’s a very straightforward concept; in fact, we are all born with a set of fundamental rights, including the right to enjoy our lives. We are all entitled to maintain a gratifying and dignified existence.
“This common-sense approach applies to a woman’s natural right to make decisions about her own body and health.”
The vast majority of abortions — over 90% — are performed at or before 13 weeks of gestation in the US and less than a single percentage point occurs after 21 weeks, according to CDC data.
Abortion has been one of the key issues in the election after Trump appointed three conservative judges to the Supreme Court, who then helped overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 — revoking the federal right to abortion that American women had since 1973.
The Republican nominee has often boasted about being responsible for getting the five-decade-old ruling overturned through his appointments.
“The slogan ‘My Body, My Choice’ is typically associated with women activists and those who align with the pro-choice side of the debate,” Melania wrote, according to the Guardian.
“But if you really think about it, ‘My Body, My Choice’ applies to both sides – a woman’s right to make an independent decision involving her own body, including the right to choose life. Personal freedom.”
Her memoir is set to hit shelves next Tuesday.
