Donald Trump: Don't change abortion laws

CBS News ^ | April 1, 2016 | Jake Miller

[ConservativeTeen]

Donald Trump said Friday that he believes the laws regulating abortion should stay as they are, but he doesn't disagree with the proposition that abortion is murder.

The GOP frontrunner lit a fresh controversy this week with his shifting responses to a question on abortion policy. He said during an MSNBC town hall on Tuesday that he'd like to see the practice banned, and that women who undergo it should face "some form of punishment." But he quickly backtracked, explaining in a statement that while he believes it should be banned, the punishment should be levied on abortion providers, not the women seeking abortions.

Trump sought to clarify his position during an interview on Friday with "Face the Nation" moderator John Dickerson. The interview will air, in part, on Sunday's broadcast.

"A question was asked to me. And it was asked in a very hypothetical. And it was said, 'Illegal, illegal,'" Trump explained. "I've been told by some people that was an older line answer and that was an answer that was given on a, you know, basis of an older line from years ago on a very conservative basis."

Asked how he'd like to change the law to further restrict access to abortions, Trump replied, "The laws are set now on abortion and that's the way they're going to remain until they're changed."

"I would've preferred states' rights," he added. "I think it would've been better if it were up to the states. But right now, the laws are set....At this moment, the laws are set. And I think we have to leave it that way."

"Do you think abortion is murder?" Dickerson asked.

"I have my opinions on it, but I'd rather not comment on it," Trump replied.

"You said you were very pro-life," Dickerson followed up. "Pro-life means that...abortion is murder."

"I mean, I do have my opinions on it. I just don't think it's an appropriate forum," said Trump.

"But you don't disagree with that proposition, that it's murder?" Dickerson asked.

"No, I don't disagree with it," Trump eventually replied.

The back-and-forth over abortion wasn't the only political controversy involving Trump this week. He also stood by his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, who's been charged with battery after allegedly grabbing a reporter's arm during a public event last month. And he suggested on Tuesday that he no longer feels bound by his pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee, complaining that the party has treated him "very unfairly."

Despite a chorus of critics assailing both moves, Trump told "Face the Nation" it hasn't been the worst week of his campaign.

"I think I've had many bad weeks and I've had many good weeks. I don't see this as the worst week in my campaign," he said. "But certainly, I've had some weeks, and you've been reporting on them, where that was the end. And then the next week, you see poll numbers where they went up and everybody's shocked."

"So yeah, people want to stop me because I'm leading by a lot," he added.

For more of the interview with Trump, tune into "Face the Nation" on Sunday. Check your local listings for airtimes. © 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[HiTech RedNeck]

History prior to Roe (did that exist? did dinosaurs exist?) generally had little or no penalties to the woman, potentially serious ones to the practitioner.

Even the possibility of an adjustment in Roe coming into view has people coming off their nut all over.

Treating it as a madness (like suicide or self mutilation) because of how cold against natural affection that one has to be in order to seriously countenance it, seems a more realistic model. We don’t penalize suicide attempts any more (though we may order them into treatment). We come down like a ton of bricks on those who assist suicides.

[Jane Long]

Was horrible that Kelly took Hannity’s time slot. Kelly is a liberal hack posing as an independent.

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Agree. MeAgain and Rupert done him wrong.

[Pinkbell]

I agree, but as a Trump supporter disappointed in his statements, I might add, if we don’t have the right to life, what right do we have?

[VRWCarea51]

#186 you missed the summersault last night when he called in to the Ted Baxter show and claimed when talking with Matthews about abortion he “mispoke” and that his position has ALWAYS been the Same as R. Reagan.

This only made his Campaign’s two revisions look like desperation at work.

He can’t stop himself from thinking he can B.S. everyone like his “Low educated” fan clubs.

[altura]

Well, you know that is grounds for being zotted.

[dp0622]

I’ve see gals driven to near madness from it. Cutting, suicide attempts, nervous breakdowns.

I know some don’t give a @#$@#$. I’ve noticed those to be extremely mentally disturbed.

then there are always going to be those who don’t give a @#$@#$.

How can one tell the difference?

Like I said, my gangster acquaintances, unlike the Godfather III, NEVER EVER EVER had remorse, no less nervous breakdowns, over their horrific crimes. They laughed about them.

Early in my head injury, when the pain was blinding, and the future so bleak, I thought taking a billion Xanax was the answer. It wasn’t and I WAS sent to psych.

Would have been odd putting me in prison.

That time has long passed so no worries.

[caww]

...”This is a pro Trump website”...

Wrong......this is a ‘Conservative website’ which supports Ted Cruz and Donald Trump as Primary candidates until there’s a winner.... who will then be supported by this website for the General election against the Demorat Candidate whomever that may be.

Megan Kelly is a news pundit as any other in their Industry featured ...no more no less. Only those who are “invested” in these characters take them personally.

[Elyse]

This is the wrong website for you, dude.

[caww]

I know where Cruz stands.

[Reagan Disciple]

“Trump is protecting the country....with his wall and restriction proposals....and businesses - that will return jobs, jobs, jobs - with his economic policies.

That’s the priority......”

Yeah! Forget the unborn dead! Build the wall! Expand Universal Health care! Build the wall! Promote Affirmative Action! Build the wall! Promote progressive taxes! Build the wall!

Wait, the Mexicans aren't paying for the wall.......ok, forget the wall. Tariffs! We want tariffs! Too many Barbie dolls from China! We want tariffs!

Wait, we don't make Barbie dolls here.........the price will just go up.........ok, forget tariffs. Halt immigration! All of it! Except Hb-1, those people are smart. Except STEM, which is like Hb-1, Trump means STEM right...or Hb-1, or both? He's confused. And except those that are good and come right back in.

Wait, we're just letting most of them stay under Trump's plan.........ok, back to building the wall!

Can I get an LOL?

[Pinkbell]

At one point he told Sean Hannity he planned on releasing a list of judges he would consider appointing. He did release the names of two at one point. I don’t have their names, but there were no complaints, and people said they were conservative. There was no objection regarding abortion.

[E20erer]

The man is over his head and he knows it....He’s entering center field and in the Big Leagues now ‘both’ in Politics and the Media....and the Pros are coming into the field

-----------------

Pros? As in professional politicians and consultants?

You do know this is the anti year for professional politicians and consultants, right?

What do professional politicians know? Dumb and Dumber couldn't even win their own states in the last election. Let the American people decide, not some paid operatives who post to sway opinion, which they never will lol, or some paid career political hack.

Remember these REALLY popular guys who couldn't even win their own home state? Like we will trust anything the political class and their gurus lie about.

[E20erer]

You are not the majority of voters, ding bat.

[caww]

...”Jim gives us more of a free reign during primaries, but once the nominee is chosen, if it isn’t Trump, the fan club is going to be looking for a new clubhouse. The same goes for Cruz supporters if he isn’t the nominee.”....

I tend to think most ,on either side, will hang in here and support whoever the winner is for the General.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I think we would ignore this dimension of reality at our peril.

We have not a whole lot of garden variety crime, we have a madness. People are forgetting what it is to even be human. The fellow who holds up a bank because his family is starving is in a different situation from the one who does it just for the hell of it, or to avenge some abstract imagined wrong. Less and less of the crime we see is from sheer materialistic or even other common worldly urges (e.g. envy). More and more of it looks to be explicitly satanically provoked. Evil just for the sheer pride of it.

I’ve said this a lot of places. We don’t need the hangman here; we need the preacher.

[sickoflibs]

RE:”He can’t stop himself from thinking he can B.S. everyone like his “Low educated” fan clubs.”

On what used to be his favorite show MSNBC Mika and Joe, this morning they reported that Trump said his comments on punishing women were taken out of context, that the clips were edited.

They pointed out that Matthews played the whole interview unedited.

Following clips on all the shows were long enough to make it obvious what happened.

[Jane Long]

Can I get an LOL?

---

No. But you can get help.

You sound unhinged....keep posting those crazy posts....to your fan club, not to me.

[dp0622]

It is a dilemma that is above my cognitive abilities :)

I appreciate your views.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It’s a LOL not an LOL.

[VRWCarea51]

#197 You would have thought a Supposed street smart Suavy billionaire businessman with YUGE experience in deals and negotiations would have known the Press has been playing opossum with him for months.

This moron thought all but megyn was his buddy.

Putin is laughing at the idea of dealing with donnie. Like dealing with a bleached obama.