The New York Times recently spoke of a report based on information from an internal source, but the Trump camp is trying to deny it. The report speaks about abortion rights, specifically something mentioned by the former president in passing. Let’s examine what the fallout from his leak could be and why the Trump campaign wants to distance itself.
A Questionable Abortion Plan
The New York Times article references a 16-week abortion plan that Trump mentioned to supporters in an off-the-books meeting. The casual conversation outlined his plans.
According to the source, the former president is in favor of a 16-week abortion plan. He claims that he believes most Americans wouldn’t have a problem with a plan like that.
Staunch Anti-Abortion Supporters
Many of Trump’s supporters are firmly in the anti-abortion camp. They are usually in the evangelical Christian cohort and see abortion as a sin against their religion.
These evangelical Christians are staunchly against the idea of abortion and are willing to see federal laws passed to deal with it. They believe that Trump would make that happen if elected.
Trump Campaign Cries Fake News
In typical Trump fashion, the former president’s campaign said that the report was based on false information. The label of “fake news” has risen since Trump was elected to power in 2016.
For Trump’s supporters, anything that the mainstream media reports that doesn’t align with what they already believe is termed fake news. This includes factually verifiable information.
A Private Source Confirms the Report
Rolling Stone contacted a private source inside the Trump camp to see if the report was true. The source confirmed that Trump did indeed say that he supported a 16-week abortion plan.
Those close to the former president know that he’s been endorsing 16-week abortion plans privately for a while. However, he hasn’t come out on a platform and said it for all of his supporters to hear.
A Potentially Damning Statement
With Trump’s supporters all pushing for a federal abortion ban, stating that he’s in favor of a 16-week abortion plan could alienate him from his more rabid supporters. It could have a severe impact on the campaign’s success.
Trump has also not come out and said anything because he believes that it would impact his image as “the most pro-life president ever.” With so many supporters hanging on his words, damage control is necessary for this leak.
Banking on Anti-Abortion Conservatives
Trump has good reason to be worried about this becoming the narrative about his abortion stance. Many hardcore, anti-abortion conservatives don’t believe in compromise about the issue.
These form a significant part of Trump’s support base. His position on abortion rights may also alienate him from suburban women voters and independents on the conservative side of the abortion debate.
Abortion Debate Is a Big Deal
The Supreme Court ruled in June 2022 that states had the right to determine their own abortion laws. This caused a massive backlash and saw many people talk about moving backward in women’s reproductive rights.
The debate about abortion and a woman’s right to choose goes back for decades. While the campaign hasn’t come out to state it, many of Trump’s supporters believe that, if elected, he will criminalize abortions throughout the US.
No One Is Sure About The Source of the Leak
The leak has the Trump camp frantically trying to rally its communicators to do what it does best and deflect the pressure from the presidential hopeful. Yet it underlines some serious flaws in the campaign’s security.
No one is sure who leaked the information, but whoever it was wanted to discredit the former president’s statements and drive away some of his supporters. Some supporters believe the leak came from anti-abortion supporters.
Why Would Anti-Abortion Supporters Leak This Information?
Trump has stated that he’s the most pro-life president ever, but that would suggest that he wouldn’t compromise on abortion legislation. He would more likely decide that abortion should be criminalized.
This statement goes against that and may have caused some anti-abortion supporters in his party to rethink their choice of candidate. Maybe they saw it as sharing information with others that they thought they needed to know.
Trump Knows What Will Work
Why would a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential hopeful roll back his opinion on one of the hottest issues on the national debate stage? Some suggest it’s because he knows what the current state of politics in the US is today.
Most Americans will not be happy with a blanket ban on abortions, regardless of what his supporters want. As a born negotiator, he knows what he has to do to get what he wants.
A Less Extreme Trump Position?
Liberals may be surprised that Trump would even consider an abortion compromise. Many think he’s a radical hardliner, primarily based on his campaign-trail rhetoric. Yet he doesn’t want to rock the boat as much as people think.
Looking back on many of his decisions (the ones that weren’t made on behalf of his supporters) it’s easy to see that a lot of it was just holding the status quo. He didn’t push outright radical policies during his time in office.
How Will This Statement Affect Trump’s Chances?
It’s tempting to say that Trump’s 16-week abortion plan would collapse his support base, but it’s clear that it may not really do much to his core supporters’ belief in his policies and statements.
The supporters it may affect the most are those who are already on the fence about electing him as the Republican candidate for the White House. Those who see abortion as an issue they can never compromise on will see these statements as a betrayal of their trust.
Nothing Is Set in Stone
One of the hallmarks of Trump’s campaign is that nothing is ever solid. While the former president may have spoken favorably about a 16-week abortion plan, his final decision might be something completely different. He has made being unpredictable a signature move in his political campaign.
Whether he decides to follow through with the 16-week abortion plan or roll back to a hardline stance is anyone’s guess. Given the limited information, supporters must make up their own minds.
