Topline
Former First Lady Melania Trump strongly defends abortion rights in her upcoming memoir, “Melania,” according to an excerpt published by The Guardian, revealing an ideological difference between her and her husband, former President Donald Trump, who has largely run on an anti-abortion platform.
The memoir will cover aspects of Melania’s personal life, the 2020 election and the assassination … [+]
Key Facts
Melania Trump writes in the memoir that women must be guaranteed “autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” The Guardian reported.
The former first lady writes that a woman’s individual liberty gives her the “authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” adding restrictions on a woman’s right to choose “is the same as denying her control over her own body.”
The memoir, scheduled for release next Tuesday, says Melania has held the belief throughout her “entire adult life.”
Melania’s stance clashes with that of her husband’s, who supports states enforcing their own abortion policies, though he recently said he would veto a national abortion ban if the legislation reached him during a second term.
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Key Background
Donald Trump, who made conservative appointments to the Supreme Court resulting in the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, has supported states determining their own abortion policies. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, 20 states have banned or restricted abortion earlier in the stages of pregnancy than what was established by Roe v. Wade, according to The New York Times. However, the former president stopped short of supporting a national ban on abortion after being coy about the matter, saying in a Truth Social post this week he “would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances.” Melania Trump’s stance on abortion was largely unclear prior to her memoir. The memoir will dive into details about the former first lady’s private life, which she said in a video last month “has often been the subject of public scrutiny and misrepresentation.” The book will also cover the assassination attempt against Donald Trump and his loss in the 2020 election.
Further Reading
Trump Says He Would Veto National Abortion Ban—After Dodging Question Previously (Forbes)
