‘Very pro-choice’: Donald Trump’s 1999 admission about abortion rights

Donald Trump is applauding himself for “the biggest win” against abortion rights. But three words from an interview in 1999 tell a different story.

Donald Trump is applauding himself for “the biggest win” against abortion rights. But three words from an interview in 1999 tell a different story.

Mr Trump is “the man most responsible for shaping” the “long-sought victory” felt by pro-life conservatives as millions of American women lost their legal right to an abortion on Friday.

But while he congratulates himself for the role he played — a significant one — it is worth remembering that he supported abortion rights for many years – telling Meet the Press in 1999 that he was “very pro-choice”.

That was until 2011, when, preparing for a possible campaign, he reversed course and told a conservative political conference that he opposed a woman’s right to choose.

On Friday local time, the US Supreme Court ruled that Roe v Wade – which for nearly half a century permitted terminations during the first two trimesters of pregnancy – be overturned, ending what conservative author Marc Thiessen described in a column for The Washington Post as “the overarching, seemingly impossible goal of the pro-life movement”.

“Now that it has finally been achieved, four words should be on the lips of every pro-life conservative today: Thank you, Donald Trump,” he wrote.

“Am I grateful for Trump’s four years in office? You bet I am. Millions of precious unborn lives will be saved as a result of this decision. And Trump made it possible.”

Thiessen isn’t alone in his declaration – the former president is widely credited with laying the groundwork for the Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights protections, with all three of his appointees – Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch – part of the majority 6-3 ruling.

“Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, and the Republican Party, their supermajority in the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a press conference after the decision was announced.

“With Roe and their attempt to destroy it, radical Republicans are charging ahead with their crusade to criminalise health freedom.”

“Four words should be on the lips of every pro-life conservative today: Thank you, Donald Trump.” Picture: Saul Loeb/AFP

In a statement on Friday, Mr Trump was as self-congratulatory as ever, applauding himself for sticking by his choice of nominees and calling it “the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation”.

“Today’s decision … along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court,” he added.

“It was my great honour to do so!”

But in private, according to The New York Times, he’s been singing a much different tune.

The 76-year-old has “spent weeks” repeatedly telling people that he believes the overturning of Roe will be “bad for Republicans”.

Mr Trump during the 2018 swearing-in ceremony of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

With his third appointee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. Picture: Brendan Smialowski/AFP

The decision, Mr Trump has told friends and advisers, will “anger suburban women”, The Times reports – the group who ultimately helped tilt the 2020 presidential race to Joe Biden – and “will lead to a backlash against Republicans in the November midterm elections”.

In other conversations, a person with direct knowledge of them told the publication, the former president has called measures like Texas’s six-week abortion ban – which allows private citizens to file lawsuits against those who enable abortions beyond that time frame – “so stupid”.

The publication also noted that publicly, after a draft of the likely decision leaked in May, Mr Trump was “remarkably tight-lipped”.

“His advisers had encouraged [him] to keep quiet about the issue of abortion until a ruling was released, in part to ensure he was not accused of trying to influence the decision,” it said.

“Still, the contrast between Mr Trump and conservatives who have heralded the decision and who worked in his administration, such as former Vice President Mike Pence, has been striking.”

In a statement off the back of the decision, Mr Pence declared that “life won”, and called for abortion opponents to keep fighting “in every state in the land”.

People gather at Union Square to protest against the Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health case. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP

While a spokesman for Mr Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times about his private remarks, alongside his statement he told Fox News when asked about his role that “God made the decision”.

“This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged. This is following the Constitution, and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago,” he added.

“I think, in the end, this is something that will work out for everybody.”

He’s now ultimately, according to Thiessen at least, “secured his place as the most consequential president when it comes to the Supreme Court – and our greatest pro-life president as well”.