WASHINGTON, Oct 3, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Melania Trump voiced strong support for abortion rights in her upcoming memoir, The Guardian reported Wednesday, in apparent remarks that contrast with husband Donald Trump's position on the key US election issue.

The Republican presidential nominee's wife wrote that 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," according to the newspaper.

Her reported comments diverge from Trump's view that US states should be free to decide their own restrictions on abortion.

Abortion is set to be a key issue in the November 5 election and polls show that Democrat Kamala Harris holds a significant lead over Trump on the topic with voters.

"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," Melania reportedly wrote.

"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," she added, according to The Guardian, which said it had accessed a copy of the memoir ahead of its publication next Tuesday.

Donald Trump has frequently bragged on the campaign trail that his three Supreme Court picks paved the way for the 2022 overturning of the national right to abortion.

At least 20 states have since brought in full or partial restrictions, with Georgia banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.