Trump claims credit for state abortion bans even as he denies seeking a federal prohibition

On Monday, former President Donald Trump sought to distance himself from an unpopular federal ban on abortion, even as he rightly took credit for the fact that more than a dozen states now have severe restrictions on reproductive freedom.

In a video posted on Truth Social, Trump boasted that he was responsible for Roe v. Wade being overturned, even as he appeared defensive about the 2022 Supreme Court decision, falsely asserting that the overturning of a 50-year precedent — enabled by justices he nominated — was “something that all legal scholars wanted and in fact demanded.” He also tossed red meat to his anti-choice supporters, bizarrely claiming that Democrats support "execution after birth."

But Trump, who previously suggested he would support a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, claimed Monday that he would leave the issue entirely to the states.

“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," Trump said in the video. He also sought to reassure voters that he would not pursue an unpopular ban on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the "miracle of life" it offers.

Towards the end of the video, Trump hinted at the likely reason why he's now trying to distance himself from the anti-choice policies favored by so many members of his own party. “You must follow your heart," he told viewers, "but you must also win elections in order to restore our culture  and in fact save our country which is currently, and very sadly, a nation in decline.”