Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would veto a federal abortion ban if he is elected again.
“Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it, because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters (the will of the people!)” Trump wrote in an all-caps post on his Truth Social platform during the CBS vice presidential debate between his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
“Like Ronald Reagan before me, I fully support the three exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother,” Trump continued.
The GOP nominee has repeatedly said he would not sign a federal abortion ban, but during last month’s ABC debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, he would not commit to vetoing such a ban and instead argued he “wouldn’t have to.”
When he was asked during that debate about Vance telling NBC News that the former president would veto such legislation, Trump said he hadn’t spoken to Vance about it, saying, “I don’t think he was speaking for me.”
Abortion has been a key contrast in the 2024 race, with Harris enjoying a clear advantage on the issue. That’s partially fueled her lead among female voters nationally and in swing states. Democrats have made abortion rights a prominent part of their messaging this year, pointing to state-level restrictions made possible by Trump-appointed Supreme Court justices voting with the majority to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Democrats have performed strongly in elections where abortion has taken center stage since that Supreme Court decision, and abortion rights supporters have won a series of statewide ballot measures on the issue, even in deep-red states.
Trump has recently taken to casting himself as a “protector” of women, claiming that American women won’t be “thinking about abortion” if he’s elected.
CNN’s Eric Bradner contributed to this report.