Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday called his previous suggestion that women who procure illicit abortions should face punishment an “unbelievable academic answer.”
Mr. Trump said he was only talking about the abortion question from a “theoretical” premise, drawing plaudits from the academic community in the process.
“No, he was asking me a theoretical, or just a question — a theory, and I talked about it only from that standpoint,” Mr. Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” when asked if he still held the position. “Of course not. And that was done, he said — I guess it was theoretically, but he was asking me a rhetorical question, and I gave an answer.
“And, by the way, people thought from an academic standpoint, and asked rhetorically, people said that answer was an unbelievable academic answer,” he continued. “But of course not, and I said that afterwards, everybody understands.”
Mr. Trump faced an immediate backlash from both the pro-life and pro-choice communities after the initial remark. He quickly issued a statement retracting the claim.
“We have never advocated, in any context, for the punishment of women who undergo abortion,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, in a statement at the time, adding that “punishment is solely for the abortionist who profits off of the destruction of one life and the grave wounding of another.”
• Bradford Richardson can be reached at brichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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