Melania Trump is reportedly set to voice strong support for reproductive rights, writing in her new memoir that a “woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty” grants her “the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”
In a copy of “Melania” obtained by The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly ahead of its release next Tuesday, the former first lady writes, “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.”
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” asks the former model, who married former President Trump in 2005.
“I have always believed it is critical for people to take care of themselves first,” Melania Trump reportedly says in the soon-to-be-released book.
A Melania Trump representative didn’t return ITK’s request for comment about The Guardian’s report.
The views expressed by the former first lady about abortion are in sharp contrast to former President Trump’s positions on the hot-button issue. The 45th president has said he has “no regrets” that his handpicked Supreme Court justices overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to an abortion.
On Tuesday, Trump said he would veto a federal abortion ban if he were to win a second term in office, emphasizing his position that the question should be decided at the state level. He’s said in the past that he supports exceptions that allow abortions for rape, incest and cases where the life of the mother is in jeopardy and has attacked Democrats for supporting late-term abortions.
Melania Trump reportedly acknowledges in her book that “occasional political disagreements between me and my husband” have arisen, but she says, “I believed in addressing them privately rather than publicly challenging him.”
The former first lady writes that there is “no room for negotiation” on her “core set of principles” involving abortion.
“Many women opt for abortions due to personal medical concerns,” she says, according to The Guardian.
“These situations with significant moral implications weigh heavily on the woman and her family and deserve our empathy. Consider, for example, the complexity inherent in the decision of whether the mother should risk her own life to give birth,” Trump, 54, says.
She writes she is in favor of requiring minors to obtain parental consent before undergoing an abortion, writing, “I realize this may not always be possible. Our next generation must be provided with knowledge, security, safety, and solace, and the cultural stigma associated with abortion must be lifted.”
“The slogan ‘My Body, My Choice’ is typically associated with women activists and those who align with the pro-choice side of the debate,” she says.
“But if you really think about it, ‘My Body, My Choice’ applies to both sides — a woman’s right to make an independent decision involving her own body, including the right to choose life. Personal freedom.”
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.