Trump tiptoes on abortion stance

Apr 08, 2024

Presented by

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event.

Donald Trump finally announced his stance on abortion rights, saying in a video posted on Truth Social that he prefers to leave the issue “up to the states.” | Paul Sancya/AP

THE CATCH-UP

This may be DONALD TRUMP’s third straight presidential election as a candidate, but it’s his first since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling wiped away constitutional protections for abortion — fundamentally altering the political salience of abortion rights.

In a much-anticipated statement this morning, Trump finally announced his stance on abortion rights in this new era, saying in a video posted on Truth Social that he prefers to leave the issue “up to the states,” dodging any nationwide restriction or ban on abortion — even as he took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Trump’s tightrope: “The states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” he said. “In this case: the law of the states. Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks, or some will [be] more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be. At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.” Watch the four-minute video

How Republicans would like to frame it: Trump also said that, “like RONALD REAGAN,” he is “strongly in favor” of exceptions to abortion bans in cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother. And he tried to turn the issue into a referendum on Democrats: “It must be remembered that the Democrats are the radical ones on this position, because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month,” invoking a familiar GOP talking point.

What Dems will use in ads: “I was, proudly, the person responsible for the ending of something that all legal scholars — both sides — wanted and, in fact, demanded be ended: Roe v. Wade,” Trump said.

The right reacts: But Trump’s stance was quickly met with a rebuke from MARJORIE DANNENFELSER, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, who condemned Trump’s statement while still reiterating the group’s commitment to “defeat President Biden” and congressional Democrats.

“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position,” said Dannenfelser, who last week said she believed he would call for a 15-week national limit. “Saying the issue is ‘back to the states,’” Dannenfesler continued, “cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy.” More from our colleagues Megan Messerly and Natalie Allison

A TRIAL BALLOON — With just a week to go until the hush money case against Trump goes to trial in Manhattan, the former president today “indicated he plans to file a lawsuit against” Judge JUAN MERCHAN “in an 11th-hour bid to delay the case,” NYT’s Ben Protess, Jonah Bromwich and William Rashbaum report.

“An online court docket where Mr. Trump is filing the action showed that the related paperwork was sealed. Two people with knowledge of the matter said that Mr. Trump’s lawyers on Monday planned to file the action calling on an appeals court to delay the trial and to challenge a gag order that Justice Merchan recently imposed on the former president. The order prevents Mr. Trump from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and the judge’s own family.”

Needless to say: The bid by Trump’s legal team is an extreme long shot and is unlikely to draw the result that they intend.

Speaking of Merchan … the NYT profiles the “no-nonsense, drama-averse” judge: “Although Justice Merchan is a registered Democrat, records show he was previously a Republican, and people who know him described the judge as a moderate, law-and-order former prosecutor.

“Two people close to Justice Merchan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the judge had privately expressed pain over the attacks on his daughter, but the people said that those attacks won’t compromise his ability to oversee the case. Other people who know the judge said that he will cast aside Mr. Trump’s drama — and exert control over the trial.”

Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for reading Playbook PM. Drop me a line at gross@politico.com.

A message from The National Association of REALTORS^®:

We don’t only support fair housing initiatives; we help see them through. From advocating to strengthen fair housing requirements in real estate licensure to having a robust code of ethics to hold ourselves accountable, our NAR members actively champion fair housing for all. Because it’s not just the law, it’s the right thing to do. Learn More at https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a campaign event.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is getting more interest from a key demographic of voters that will be critical for Republicans and Democrats in November. | Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

1. THE KEY DEMOGRAPHIC: Suburban women will be a critical contingent of voters that either Trump or Biden will need to win over in November if they have hopes of returning to the White House. In Pennsylvania, The Atlantic’s Elaine Godfrey spends some time with a “personal focus group of educated suburbanites,” finding a glaring problem for both candidates: “None of these women likes either of them.”

But instead of swallowing the bitter pill of forcing a vote for the established candidates, they are looking elsewhere: “At this point, seven months out, Bucks County Woman is not looking like an easy get for either party. About half of [LYNNE] KELLEHER’s circle told me they were casting about for an alternative. A few of them had either settled on or were curious about ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., the onetime Democrat who is now running as an independent. ‘I need to check out Kennedy further,’ one woman said, at the end. ‘I’m starting to go, “Whoa! There’s another option here?”’”

Speaking of RFK Jr.: “Meet the 25-year-old who TikToked his way onto RFK’s campaign team,” by WaPo’s Taylor Lorenz and Meryl Kornfield: “How [ROBERT F.] KENNEDY’s presence on the popular social media platform will affect the November election is impossible to say. But there’s little doubt who is responsible for Kennedy’s rise there: LINK LAUREN, 25, a politically eclectic content creator who has shot to fame over the past year by covering and collaborating with long-shot presidential candidates.”

2. TRUMP-PROOFING THE GOVERNMENT: “Ex-Officials Urge Curbing Presidential Power to Deploy Troops on U.S. Soil,” by NYT’s Charlie Savage: “The recommendations include tightening the circumstances in which a president may invoke the Insurrection Act by eliminating vague, antiquated terms and clarifying that for domestic violence to warrant calling in federal troops, it must rise to a level that overwhelms local law enforcement. The group also said there should be a statutory limit on how long such a deployment could last, after which a president would have to remove troops unless Congress had voted to renew authority to continue the operation. It suggested a maximum of 30 days.” See the full, bipartisan list of officials

3. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: “Israel Kills a Hezbollah Commander, as Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Show Progress,” by WSJ’s Stephen Kalin and Adam Chamseddine: “Hezbollah acknowledged the death of ALI AHMED HASSIN in the village of Sultaniyeh. The Israeli military described him as a brigade commander who had conducted ‘numerous launches’ toward Israeli territory in the past six months, and said two other Hezbollah fighters had been killed. The strikes came hours after negotiations on a cease-fire and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas resumed on Sunday in Cairo, where Central Intelligence Agency Director WILLIAM BURNS met with Egyptian and Qatari mediators.”

Related read: “Palestinians returning to Khan Younis after Israeli withdrawal find an unrecognizable city,” by AP’s Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip

YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.

4. STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: “J Street Seeks a Middle Path on Gaza. Is That Possible Anymore?” by NYT’s Marc Tracy: “The war has raised serious concerns within J Street’s ranks about its ability to hold that middle position without being pulled apart by forces on the right and the left. Internally, some staff members have been frustrated that the group did not call for a cease-fire much earlier. They fear J Street’s delay alienated younger Americans, including Jewish ones, who are much more likely to oppose Israel’s conduct in Gaza, as the death toll soars past 32,000 and more than 100 hostages languish.

“J Street’s cautious footing contrasts with the uncomplicated starkness both of left-wing groups — such as Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, which quickly called for a cease-fire and are often on the front lines of pro-Palestinian protests — and of ones to its right, like AIPAC, which praised U.S. support for Israel’s military and is pushing for more.”

5. THE NEW BATTLEFIELD: “Russian trolls target U.S. support for Ukraine, Kremlin documents show,” by WaPo’s Catherine Belton and Joseph Menn: “In an ongoing campaign that seeks to influence congressional and other political debates to stoke anti-Ukraine sentiment, Kremlin-linked political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions, according to a trove of internal Kremlin documents obtained by a European intelligence service and reviewed by The Washington Post.”

SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW.

PLAYBOOKERS

MEDIA MOVE — Chastity Pratt is joining WaPo as national education editor. She previously was education bureau chief at WSJ. The announcement

TRANSITIONS — David Planning is joining Cornerstone Government Affairs’ federal government relations team. He most recently was floor director for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and is a Steve Scalise, Patrick McHenry and Paul Ryan alum. … Greta Peisch and Diana Shaw are joining Wiley Rein as partners. Peisch most recently was general counsel for the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Shaw most recently was acting inspector general for the State Department. …

… Elise LaFleur Rabalais is now an Associate with Harris, DeVille, and Associates. She most recently was a legislative correspondent for Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and is a Steve Scalise alum. … Kathy Vanderhook-Gomez is joining Hogan Lovells as a partner in the global regulatory and intellectual property, media and technology practice. She previously was director and assistant general counsel in the enterprise risk management group at 3M Company. … Jennifer Zepralka is joining Mayer Brown as a partner in the public companies and corporate governance practice. She previously was chief of the Office of Small Business Policy in the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance.

BONUS BIRTHDAY: Bryant Gardner of Winston and Strawn

Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here.

Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.