The Big Story 

Former President Trump said a national abortion ban is “off the table” but left room for debate on the issue in the future.  

© AP

“Let me just tell you, I think that it’s something that’s off the table now, because I did something that everybody has wanted to do, I was able to get it back to the states,” Trump said during an interview on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”  

Trump regularly brags about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, falsely claiming that "everyone" wanted the court to overturn the 1973 decision that legalized abortion. Three justices appointed by Trump joined with other conservative members to overturn the ruling in 2022.

“Everybody wanted it, and I did it,” Trump said Sunday. “Now, we’ll see what happens. I will say this, that issue has been, in my opinion, largely defused.” 

Since the Dobbs decision more than two years ago, Republicans have been on the defensive about abortion, trying to avoid being painted as extremists who want to completely ban it. Trump personally has been all over the map with his positions, ultimately settling on “leave it to the states.”  

His latest comments come about a week after Trump said in a post to his social media platform Truth Social that he would veto a national abortion ban, after months of refusing to give a clear answer on whether he would do so.  

But banning or severely restricting abortion nationwide doesn’t need congressional action. Conservative states can bring cases in front of conservative judges—which is how Roe ended. A Trump administration can also take unilateral action through executive and regulatory actions, with Democrats warning of an effort to enforce the Comstock Act.

Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.

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