Former President Donald Trump says Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent signing of a law banning abortions after a heartbeat is detected is “too harsh.”
Trump commented on DeSantis’ approval of the law in an interview with The Messenger this week. In many cases, a heartbeat is detected around six weeks into pregnancy.
Trump has said he would seek the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024. DeSantis is a potential GOP candidate as well. He has not announced his candidacy, however.
“He has to do what he has to do,” Trump said, according to The Christian Post. “If you look at what DeSantis did, a lot of people don’t even know if he knew what he was doing. But he signed six weeks, and many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh.”
Trump didn’t say if he supported a heartbeat abortion ban, but he said he was “looking at all alternatives.” He also pointed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the U.S.
In the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the 1973 decision, three of the Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor were appointed by Trump.
“I was able to get us to the table by terminating Roe v. Wade. That’s the most important thing that’s ever happened for the pro-life movement,” Trump told The Messenger.
Pro-life advocates, however, say the restrictions at the state level aren’t enough.
“Life is a matter of human rights, not states’ rights. Saying that the issue should only be decided at the states is an endorsement of abortion up until the moment of birth, even brutal late-term abortions in states like California, Illinois, New York and New Jersey,” said Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser.
“The only way to save these children is through federal protections, such as a 15-week federal minimum standard when the unborn child can feel excruciating pain,” she added.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Alex Wong/Staff, ©Getty Images/Octavio Jones/Stringer
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
