Donald Trump’s campaign is trying to walk back the Republican candidate's comments on a Florida ballot initiative that would restore abortion access after they triggered an anti-choice firestorm.
Trump, who repeatedly took credit for the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, voiced support on Thursday for the Florida ballot initiative to overturn the state's restrictive six-week ban. That came after he was asked if he’d vote in favor of the amendment.
“I'm going to be voting that we need more than six weeks," Trump said.
But Trump’s campaign was quick to enter damage control mode and walk back the candidate’s support.
“Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, clarified in a statement hours after the comment.
The retraction came as Trump’s core right-wing base melted down over Trump’s apparent change of heart.
“Trump has lost his way on the abortion issue. Voting in favor of an amendment to allow abortion up to the point of birth is insanity,” conservative influencer T.J. Moe wrote on social media, falsely describing the Florida measure, which protects abortion access up to the point of viability. “He had the chance to go down as the ultimate champion of life after overturning Roe. He’s destroying that entirely.”
Florida is one of at least 10 states that will vote on abortion access via ballot initiative in November, including the key swing states of Arizona and Nevada, where the measures are expected to increase Democratic turnout.
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