Trump Says ‘We Have to Ban’ Abortion, Wants ‘Some Form of Punishment’ If Women Get Illegal Abortions

Acknowledges Ban Would Lead to Back-Alley Abortions 

Donald Trump says he is pro-life, and America must ban abortion, despite a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that women have a constitutional right to choose. The GOP frontrunner went even further, calling for some form of punishment for women who get illegal abortions. He even acknowledged banning abortion will send women to get back-alley abortions, which would lead to more deaths.

“Should abortion be punished?,” Chris Matthews asked Trump today. “This is not something you can dodge,” the MSNBC host said to the GOP frontrunner at a town hall event that was taped and will air Wednesday night.

“Look, people in certain parts of the Republican Party, conservative Republicans, would say, ‘Yes, it should,’” Trump said, according to Bloomberg News, who was first to report it.

“How about you?” Matthews asked.

“I would say it’s a very serious problem and it’s a problem we have to decide on. Are you going to send them to jail?” Trump said.

“I’m asking you,” Matthews said.

“I am pro-life,” Trump said. Asked how a ban would actually work, Trump said, “Well, you go back to a position like they had where they would perhaps go to illegal places but we have to ban it,” Trump said.

Matthews then pressed Trump on whether he believes there should be punishment for abortion if it were illegal

“There has to be some form of punishment,” Trump said. “For the woman?” Matthews asked. “Yeah,” Trump said, nodding.

Trump said the punishment would “have to be determined.”

 

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license