Trump backs abortion in cases of rape or incest, contradicting Alabama law

Donald Trump, in a series of late night posts on Twitter, has outlined a less restrictive view of abortion than that just passed by Alabama’s Republican state government.

Alabama now bans abortion except if there is a “serious health risk” to the mother, with no exceptions for rape and incest, but the president says he favours making an exception of cases of rape and incest.

“As most people know, and for those who would like to know, I am strongly pro-life, with the three exceptions – rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother – the same position taken by Ronald Reagan,” Trump tweeted.

The president said judicial appointments have helped in moving the US to further restrictions on abortion. “We have come very far in the last two years with 105 wonderful new federal judges (many more to come), two great new supreme court justices … and a whole new and positive attitude about the right to life.”

Trump said abortion will be a major issue in his re-election campaign. “The radical left, with late term abortion (and worse), is imploding on this issue. We must stick together and win for life in 2020.

“If we are foolish and do not stay united as one, all of our hard fought gains for life can, and will, rapidly disappear.”

Some Democrats have also said abortion is a big issue in the 2020 presidential election. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren responded to the Alabama law with a tweet saying: “This ban is dangerous and exceptionally cruel – and the bill’s authors want to use it to overturn Roe v Wade. I’ve lived in that America and let me tell you: we are not going back – not now, not ever. We will fight this. And we will win.”

When he was running for president in 2016 Trump was asked by a New York Times journalist if he was ever involved with anyone who had an abortion. Trump replied only by saying it was “such an interesting question”.