Trump wouldn’t say whether he’d veto a national ban even as abortion remains a top election issue

CHICAGO (AP) — Former President Donald Trump repeatedly declined to say during this week’s debate if he would veto a national abortion ban if he were elected again — a question that has lingered as the Republican nominee has shifted his stances on the crucial election issue.

In Tuesday’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump said he would not sign a federal abortion ban, insisting that a ban would not pass Congress anyway. But he refused twice to say if he would veto such legislation if it landed on his desk. Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio, said in an interview with NBC News last month that the former president would veto a ban.

In response to moderators prompting him about Vance’s statement, Trump said: “I didn’t discuss it with JD, in all fairness. And I don’t mind if he has a certain view, but I don’t think he was speaking for me.”

The exchange comes as voters and advocates across the spectrum wait for Trump to clarify his fluctuating stances on abortion, and Democrats warn that reproductive rights nationwide may be threatened by a second Trump presidency. Meanwhile, Harris emphasized support for reinstating a federal right to abortion Tuesday night.

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