'I respectfully disagree with President Trump’s statement that abortion is a states’ rights issue,' says Sen. Lindsey Graham
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Former President Trump said abortion should be left to the states.
A top Republican senator and Trump-endorser is among those criticizing the former president over his Monday announcement on abortion, in which he claimed restrictions on the procedure should be decided by individual states.
"I respectfully disagree with President Trump’s statement that abortion is a states’ rights issue," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement on Monday morning.
Trump made his much-anticipated announcement in a video the same day, stating his belief that the states should legislate their own limitations on abortion rather than the federal government.
TRUMP SAYS ABORTION SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE STATES
Sen. Lindsey Graham came out in disagreement after former President Trump announced abortion should be left to the states. (Getty Images)
"The states will determine by vote, or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land – in this case, the law of the state," he said in a video on Truth Social. "Many states will be different. Many states will have a different number of weeks…at the end of the day it is all about the will of the people."
This was shot down by Graham, who claimed, "The states’ rights only rationale today runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions and will age about as well as the Dred Scott decision."
"The science is clear – a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and is capable of feeling pain."
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I respectfully disagree with President Trump’s statement that abortion is a states’ rights issue.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 8, 2024
Dobbs does not require that conclusion legally and the pro-life movement has always been about the wellbeing of the unborn child – not geography. https://t.co/WloOJ0ImaW
Other GOP lawmakers responded differently. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Regarding a national ban on abortion, I agree with President Trump."
"As a pro-life conservative, I do not support abortion but I believe the Supreme Court made it clear that the Constitution protects the right of states to determine their own policies," he said.
Similarly, former House Freedom Caucus Chair and Trump ally Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. Supreme Court ensured that states can now make decisions regarding abortion and I support the court's decision. The radical Left demands absolutely no limit on how or when pre-born babies can be aborted and who pays for it."
"I agree with President Trump – it's time for the states to fight for mothers, babies, and growing families," Perry said.
Republican responses to Trump's announcement were limited, continuing a pattern of apprehension when it comes to commenting on abortion, an issue that's been a political lightening rod since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
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Dobbs overturned the previous ruling in Roe v. Wade. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)
In an effort to harness frustration over the matter, President Biden's campaign and Democrats across the country have argued that Republicans would usher in a national ban on abortion if they re-gain power.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement, "Let’s wait a few weeks and see what his new position will be," referencing Trump's previous back-and-forth over the issue and his stance on federal policy to address it.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., who faces a competitive election this year in the pivotal swing state of Wisconsin, slammed Trump following his video. "Millions of women across Wisconsin have lost the freedom to control their own bodies because of Donald Trump and Eric Hovde," she said in a statement released by her campaign.
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"Today, we heard it loud and clear: if Donald Trump is President and Eric Hovde is elected to the U.S. Senate, they will ensure abortion is illegal for women across our state. While they run to restrict our rights, I will never stop fighting to restore and protect our freedoms," she said.
Baldwin slammed Trump's announcement. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
While Trump said he did not support a federal restriction on abortion, Baldwin's campaign pointed out that the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which Trump took credit for, allowed a restriction on the procedure in Wisconsin from 1849 to go into effect.
"Montanans of all stripes don’t want the federal government telling them what to do, and they don’t want politicians or judges stripping away their personal freedoms," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in a statement to Fox News Digital. Tester similarly faces a competitive re-election race come November.
"While politicians in Montana are actively working to ban abortion in our state, I will always fight to protect Montana women’s freedom to make their own health care decisions," he said.
Tester hit Trump's announcement on Monday. (Drew Angerer)
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., suggested Trump's words weren't trustworthy in a post on X, reacting to the video.
"An old saying goes: ‘watch what they do, not what they say,'" he wrote.
"He'd sign a national abortion ban into law—no matter how much he tries to deny it," Kaine added.
"Donald Trump has signaled that by leaving abortion up to the states, he endorses draconian laws like Florida's recent 6 week abortion ban, or Alabama's Supreme Court's decision that would outlaw IVF," Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., author of Women's Health Protection Act, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
In a recent March Fox News Poll, 65% of all voters said they supported legalizing abortion nationwide, including 42% of Republicans and 65% of independents.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to
