Posted on 03/30/2016 2:50:43 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump quickly walked back a statement he made earlier Wednesday that if abortion were illegal in the United States, then women who have the procedure should be punished - saying later that only those who performed the procedure should be punished.
“If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman,” Trump said in a written statement. “The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb.”
Earlier, at a taped MSNBC town hall to be aired later Wednesday, Trump said if abortions were illegal, women should be held responsible.
Host Chris Matthews pressed Trump to clarify, asking him whether abortion should be punished and who ultimately should be held accountable.
“Look, people in certain parts of the Republican Party, conservative Republicans, would say, ‘Yes, it should,’” Trump said.
The candidate later put out a statement saying: “This issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination.”
Trump’s comments come at a time when he’s losing traction with women voters.
When asked specifically at the town hall what he thought, the New York businessman answered, “I would say it’s a very serious problem and it’s a problem we have to decide on. Are you going to send them to jail?”
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
What is the exact context of him taking it back? Post it.
Yeah, I’m in complete disbelief. I don’t understand why they think what he said was wrong.
Did you read the article that started this thread?
Trump should just blow this off. This won't affect any undecided voters nor change any of he minds of those who are currently going to vote for him.
Trumps’ take back is in that article.
And when that candidate immediately takes it back, and his supporters still stand by him, who’s the dumb one?
It was an irrelevant gotcha question. What if he had said no punishment? That too would have rankled people.
To whom should someone go if this is the issue that turns them from Trump? Cruz and Kasich who have no loyalty to their workers and advance liberal talking points just to get a soundbite? Maybe Bernie the Butcher who has no problem killing babies moments before they are due to be born?
You’re out of luck. It’ll be President Trump Jan 2017.
When the Ban on Partial Birth Abortion was passed, what did the Legislation say about Criminal Penalties?
As far as this flap goes, just use the old DemoncRat excuse comment “I misspoke”. That is always a Get Out Of Jail Free Card isn’t it?
Sounds like Trump let the Questioner paint him into the corner on this one. As another Poster said, he should just reply that he doesn’t respond to Hypothetical Questions.
As far as Punishment, the Woman can always claim Emotional Duress while the Abortionist cannot.
Well, he's now said both, so no one can be rankled.
I’m pro-life and also upset about his comments, in the sense of “what in the world were you thinking, Donald?!”. The Democrats will have a field day with this, i.e. the “war on women” meme, the works. The critical issues: the invasion of our nation by illegals, the trade imbalances and unfair deals, the loss of manufacturing, loss of good jobs, terrorism; everything will take a back seat to the narrative that Trump hates women and wants to prosecute them for exercising their “freedom of choice”. Expect these comments to have a prominent place in Mrs. Clinton’s ads going forward.
He does more walking back than a show horse.
He was asked the dumb ass hypothetical question by baby killing Chris Mathews. He answered it after Mathews edged him on. He of course meant doctors also or anyone else involved in abortions. Then the feeding freezy came from all the media, and of course Hillary the winch, lying Ted Bush, democrat Kasich and the rest of the usual suspects to pile on him by saying “Trump wants women who’ve had abortions to be punished”. When lying Ted weighed in he didn’t mention Trump was asked about ILLEGAL abortions. So instead of being the target of all these liberal gotcha democrats and the establishment types like Ted Bush and Kasich, he changed his statement to take women out of the equation, and only listed abortion providers as ones who should be punished. He did it to stop the 24/7 “war with women” that was sure to come and will still come. I would have never changed my original words but I’m not running for president.
Is anyone else getting dizzy with these continuous reversals and flops and flips on everything?
Of course. Keep carrying his water.
“The disadvantage Trump has is that he has been busy running a business and has not ever needed to delve deeply into controversies and learn how to wiggle around them like politicians do.”
Trump started running for president in 2000 - that was 16 years ago. He should be getting the hang of saying what he means by now.
Something is going on with Trump. I don’t know what it is. But we are going to have to find out before we go further into the campaign. Something is going on with Trump. And it is not good.
“Something is going on with Trump. I don’t know what it is. But we are going to have to find out before we go further into the campaign. Something is going on with Trump. And it is not good.”
That really sound ominous. Care to cite some evidence, I mean, other than venom?
Lying Ted Bush knows full well Trump was asked about illegal abortions. But now since he’s came out as full blown establishment he might as well answer like the closet democrat he is.
Nothing.
The left has been telling that lie about pro-lifers wanting to jail women for years.
So Trump has a Westboro Baptist moment to prove them right.
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