Internet divided as Biden and Democrats attack Trump over report that he supports a 16-week abortion ban

WASHINGTON, DC: As Democrats focus on the politically-charged topic of abortion ahead of November's election, President Joe Biden and his allies attacked Donald Trump on the subject after the New York Times revealed on Friday, January 16, that the former president had privately indicated support for a 16-week federal ban.

According to CNN, Karoline Leavitt, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, said the former president has not committed to supporting an abortion ban nationwide. She added that Trump will "sit down with both sides and negotiate a deal that everyone will be happy with", while reacting to the Times article.

Biden and Democrats attack Trump for supporting 16-week abortion ban

The allegation, which claims that Trump has informally expressed his approval of a 16-week ban with exceptions for rape, incest, and situations in which the mother's life is in jeopardy, has drawn significant attention from Biden and other Democrats.

In a statement released on Friday, Biden claimed that while Trump was attempting to "rip away your rights," he was "running to protect them."

President Biden said, "Now, after being the one responsible for taking away women’s freedom, after being the one to put women’s lives in danger, after being the one who has unleashed all this cruelty and chaos all across America, Trump is running scared."

He added, "He’s afraid the women of America are going to hold him responsible for taking away their rights and endangering their rights at the ballot box in November. Which is exactly what’s going to happen."

The Biden campaign called reporters to criticize Trump on the topic following the release of the Times article. The DNC released a statement claiming that "Trump is making it clear that access to abortion for all women is on the ballot this November".

As he moves closer to securing the Republican nomination for president in 2024, Trump regularly highlights how he helped overturn Roe v Wade by appointing three justices to the Supreme Court who joined the conservative majority in 2022 in voting to end federal protections for abortion.

He has stated that the repeal of the historic abortion legislation is a major accomplishment of his administration and that the abortion restrictions that have subsequently been passed were only possible because of Roe's overturn.

Trump has not made abortion a key part of his campaign

Remarkably, Trump has avoided emphasizing abortion in his campaign speeches and has refrained from mentioning any particular abortion-related legislation he will support if re-elected.

In his most recent campaign rallies, Trump has only briefly alluded to his pledge to “protect innocent life” in the event of a second term and has not discussed the overturning of Roe.

Trump has publicly admitted that Republicans have struggled with the abortion debate at the polls ever since Roe was overruled. Still, he has also chastised members of his party for their messaging on the subject.

This explains his hesitation to take a firm stance on the matter. To the dismay of anti-abortion campaigners, he has called six-week abortion restrictions, like the one supported by Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, his former GOP presidential challenger, "too harsh."

Internet divided amid report on Donald Trump supporting 16-week abortion ban

People on the Internet remained divided in their opinions as Joe Biden and Democrats attacked Trump over abortion after a report that he supports a 16-week ban.

A user tweeted, "Who cares what they think. It’s a states issue."

Another mentioned, "Abortion is healthcare at all times."

One person said, "Never going to happen. The Supreme Court already ruled, that the states decide."

A user also mentioned, "Every child deserves a birthday."

One added, "Abortivo should be banned. That's all."

Another user stated, "The proposed 16-week ban is 4 to 6 weeks longer than nearly all liberal western democracies have in place. They place severe restrictions on abortion beyond the 10th to 12th week."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.