Trump says abortion should be left to states, avoiding taking a position..

Former President Donald Trump said abortion should be left to the states, avoiding taking a position on the number of weeks at which the procedure should be banned as he tries to navigate an issue that has animated Democrats.

“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both.

And whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” Trump said Monday in a campaign video. “Many states will be different…At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people.”

Trump’s stance is unlikely to please religious conservatives who want him to embrace tougher restrictions, and one prominent group quickly expressed its disappointment. And Democrats are certain to continue to blame him for the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended the constitutional right to the procedure.

Trump has taken credit for putting three conservative justices on the high court during his administration, and he thanked the court on Monday for “having the courage to allow this long term hard fought battle to finally end.”

He added: “This 50 year battle over Roe v. Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds and vote of the people in each state.”

Biden spokesman Ammar Moussa said on X that by avoiding taking a position, “Donald Trump is endorsing every single abortion ban in the states, including abortion bans with no exceptions.”

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the antiabortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, expressed disappointment in Trump’s position, saying it ceded the national debate on abortion to Democrats.

“If successful, they will wipe out states’ rights,” she said.