The revelation that Melania Trump defends a woman’s right to an abortion in her upcoming memoir has stunned pro-life activists, with one saying the former first lady is wrong.
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” Melania Trump writes in her book, Melania, U.K. newspaper The Guardian reported on Wednesday.
“Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life,” she adds.
Newsweek has contacted Melania Trump’s office for comment.
Former first lady Melania Trump arrives on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She reportedly passionately defends a woman’s right to an abortion in her upcoming memoir.
Leon Neal/Getty Images
“Melania Trump’s support of abortion is anti-feminist and clearly outside the teaching of our Catholic faith. She is wrong,” Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday night.
Hawkins went on to say that abortion is “the opposite of empowerment, as women are told they can’t balance the gift of children and career, so they have to pick one. Christ helps us prosper at home, at school, at work, as mothers, and even as role models.”
She added: “What a lost opportunity to inspire a generation of young women. I won’t be buying Melania’s book.”
The Guardian said it obtained a copy of the memoir ahead of its publication on October 8.
The revelation that Melania Trump’s views on abortion appear out of step with her husband’s comes just weeks before the November 5 election.
The former first lady has rarely been seen with Republican former President Donald Trump as he campaigns for a second term as president.
Donald Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the Supreme Court‘s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which ended the nationwide right to abortion.
He appointed three of the justices that voted to strike down the landmark 1973 decision.
This move paved the way for states to ban or restrict the procedure—13 states now have a total abortion ban and 22 ban or restrict the procedure earlier than the standard set in Roe, which protected the right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered to be 23 or 24 weeks.
Donald Trump is competing for the presidency against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who has made defending abortion rights a centerpiece of her campaign.
Activist Hawkins added that it was “hard to follow the logic” of Melania putting out the book before the election and “undercutting President Trump’s message to pro-life voters.”
Clare Anne Ath, a senior policy analyst for Human Coalition, wrote on X that she is “praying for Melania Trump, that she comes to know the truth and the darkness of abortion.”
The former president’s shifting views on abortion have also frustrated anti-abortion activists.
He has sought to distance himself from the anger the Supreme Court‘s ruling to overturn of Roe v. Wade stoked, noting the political ramifications of Republicans taking extreme positions on the issue.
Donald Trump had previously indicated support for a national abortion ban, but said in April that abortion law should be left to each states. He has voiced support for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother.
It comes as abortion has been a winning issue for Democrats, with voters siding with abortion rights supporters every time it has been directly on the ballot since Roe‘s end.
Measures to protect access to abortion will go before voters in 10 states in November, including in the swing states of Arizona and Nevada.
Polls show abortion is one of the top issues of the election, with a recent Reuters/Ipsos survey showing a majority (61 percent) of Americans want to protect or increase access to it, including 34 percent of Republicans.
