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 害羞草研究所渧ery shortly,害羞草研究所� 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, 害羞草研究所淒o you support any restrictions on a person害羞草研究所檚 right to contraception?害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e looking at that and I害羞草研究所檓 going to have a policy on that very shortly,害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淭hings really do have a lot to do with the states, and some states are going to have different policy than others,害羞草研究所� Trump responded, before repeating that he would be releasing 害羞草研究所渁 very comprehensive policy害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渉as never and will never害羞草研究所� advocate for restricting birth control and other contraceptives. Even so, the Biden campaign was quick to seize on the interview.
害羞草研究所淲omen across the country are already suffering from Donald Trump害羞草研究所檚 post-Roe nightmare, and if he wins a second term, it害羞草研究所檚 clear he wants to go even further by restricting access to birth control and emergency contraceptives,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所淚 feel very strongly about it. I actually think it害羞草研究所檚 a very important issue.害羞草研究所�
During an April 27 follow-up interview, Trump said he would announce his stance 害羞草研究所渙ver the next week or two.害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 strategy of deferring to individual states on abortion. They did not give an updated timeline for a policy statement on medication abortion.
害羞草研究所淧resident Trump has long been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions on abortion,害羞草研究所� the statement said.
Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt said Trump害羞草研究所檚 allies have already 害羞草研究所渙utlined exactly how they plan to eliminate abortion access nationwide with or without Congress.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e know Trump害羞草研究所檚 playbook because we害羞草研究所檝e seen it,害羞草研究所� she said in a statement. 害羞草研究所淭rump overturned Roe, brags about it constantly, and is proud of the horrific reality where women害羞草研究所檚 lives are at risk, doctors are threatened with jail time, and IVF and birth control access are under attack.害羞草研究所�
Trump has often relied on the tactic of promising an announcement on a major policy stance in 害羞草研究所渢wo weeks害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淚 imagine the events in New York City have been very distracting, but we are watching for an announcement,害羞草研究所� said Kristi Hamrick, spokesperson for the anti-abortion group Students for Life, referring to the former president害羞草研究所檚 hush money trial.
Hamrick said the group has been speaking with Trump害羞草研究所檚 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害羞草研究所檚 Project 2025 playbook 害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所渕ail order abortions.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭rump will say whatever he wants, but what really matters is what he did 害羞草研究所� and that害羞草研究所檚 to facilitate ending the constitutional right to abortion and set state abortion bans into motion,害羞草研究所� 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害羞草研究所檚 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
