US election 2024 “No room for compromise”: Melania Trump posts video on abortion rights
Former First Lady Melania Trump
© Andrew Harnik/AP/DPA
Former First Lady Melania Trump has largely stayed out of her husband’s election campaign – but now she’s speaking out on a particularly sensitive topic.
A few weeks before the US presidential election, Melania Trump spoke out on the controversial issue of abortion. “There is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women are born with: individual freedom,” says the wife of the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in a video published on the X platform. Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that she supports “without any doubt.”
The video, just 28 seconds long, ends with a question: “What does ‘my body, my decision’ really mean?” She is referring to the English slogan “My body, my choice”, which abortion supporters use as a central argument in the debate.
The topic probably also appears in Melania Trump’s memoirs
The British “Guardian” had previously reported on an excerpt from the former First Lady’s as yet unpublished memoirs. In it, Melania Trump describes herself as a passionate supporter of a woman’s right to control her own body – including the right to abortion. According to the Guardian, she writes in her book that it is “important to ensure that women can make the decision to have a child on their own initiative and free from any interference or pressure from the government.”
Would you like to know everything about the US election?
The sternThe local team informs you every Saturday in the free “Inside America” newsletter about the most important developments and provides insights into how Americans really look at their country.
After entering your email address, you will receive an email confirming your registration.
We always treat your data confidentially.
The dispute over abortion rights is one of the central issues in the US election campaign. The Democrats led by candidate Kamala Harris repeatedly warn that the rights of women in the USA are in great danger. A good two years ago, the Supreme Court overturned the nationwide right to abortion. Ex-President Trump had shifted the majority on the court significantly to the right through several replacements, thereby making this decision possible. Now the states can decide on abortion rights – in many of them abortions are now largely banned.
Counterbalance to Donald Trump?
However, Trump has now distanced himself somewhat from a strict anti-abortion line. He often expresses himself ambivalently and repeatedly avoids a clear positioning. Polls show that most Americans support limited abortion rights. The positioning of his wife – who almost never appears in the election campaign – could also be aimed at giving him a more moderate tone in the debate.
rw DPA
#Topics
