WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Donald Trump said Sunday he favors a
national abortion ban after a certain number of weeks, with exceptions -- but
did not confirm how many weeks, leaving his stance on a top US election issue
murky.

The former president said that he would "soon" issue a proposal on the number
of weeks at which a ban should be implemented, as he spoke to "MediaBuzz" on
Fox News days after becoming the presumptive Republican nominee for
November's White House race.

Trump was asked about a New York Times article from February that said he had
told advisers he liked the idea of a 16-week national abortion ban -- with
exceptions for rape, incest or the mother's health -- but was hesitant to
address it publicly lest he alienate socially conservative supporters.

He did not specify to Fox at what point in a pregnancy he believed abortions
should be banned, saying that "in a number of weeks I'll be coming out with a
recommendation."

"I think the recommendation will be accepted," Trump said, adding he was
proud that his three Supreme Court nominations had shifted the court's
balance rightward, allowing it in 2022 to end federally guaranteed abortion
rights.

The Supreme Court's shock ruling left it to states to establish their own
abortion laws. Some have enacted near-total bans; others, like Maryland,
passed laws to enshrine abortion rights. Many conservatives hope a national
ban could override laws like Maryland's.

Biden and Democrats have been leaning strongly into the issue -- regularly
pointing out that polls show most Americans oppose a federal ban -- and Trump
indicated Sunday that he was aware of the political risks involved.

"I think you have to have the three exceptions," he said.

"You have to go with your heart. But beyond that, you also have to get
elected, okay. And if you don't have the three exceptions, I think it's very,
very hard to get elected."

He noted that in the 2022 midterm elections in the state of Pennsylvania,
where exit polls showed abortion to be the leading issue, a Republican
candidate for governor who strongly opposed abortion rights was defeated.

Republican losses in other off-year elections, even in normally conservative
states like Kansas, have been linked to the abortion issue.

Trump noted bans on abortion after a certain number of weeks do exist
elsewhere, notably in France and other European countries.

His former vice president Mike Pence said Sunday that he thought Trump had
erred in not taking a firmer anti-abortion position during the 2020
presidential campaign.

Pence, an evangelical Christian who said Friday that he will not endorse his
ex-boss, told CBS that he would like to see the Republican candidate support
a ban from at least 15 weeks.