On Thursday, Donald Trump caused a stir when he was asked about Florida’s Constitutional Amendment 4, which would enshrine the right to abortion, including late-term abortions, in the state constitution. On Friday, he cleared up any confusion about his position.
The controversy began when Trump told NBC News reporter Dasha Burns the following.
“I think six weeks is too short, there has to be more time,” said former President Trump about his vote to change abortion law in Florida. pic.twitter.com/rQAdPtW9i0
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) 29 August 2024
While Trump did not explicitly say he would vote for Amendment 4, he did say he would “vote for more weeks.” Since Amendment 4 was the only way on the ballot to do so, this rang alarm bells on the right.
Whatever effect the backlash had or not, Trump clarified his position the next day and announced that he would vote against Amendment 4
#BREAK: Former President Trump rejects the Fourth Amendment to Florida’s abortion law, saying it is too extreme
“I will vote no.” pic.twitter.com/YoGuIVMR1o
— Florida Voice (@FLVoiceNews) 30 August 2024
This is a huge development, both because it significantly increases the likelihood of Amendment 4’s failure and because it defuses a potential point of contention among Republicans. While some may not share Trump’s personal view that “more weeks” are needed, abortion is no longer a federal issue. As long as that remains the case (and both Trump and Vance have made that promise) and the former president does not actively seek to advance abortion at the state level (i.e., by voting for Amendment 4 and tacitly promoting it), that is the end of the story.
The huge majority of pro-lifers are simply seeking a commitment to do no harm. Republicans shouldn’t be expected to run into a political wall, but neither should they aid Democrats push the ball forward through misguided pandering. Trump gave Republican voters confidence with his announcement that he won’t do that. That’s all that needed to happen, and now it has. With that potential obstacle out of the way, GOP voters are moving full steam ahead to defeat Kamala Harris in November.
