Trump Splits With New Abortion Laws

President Trump appeared to disagree with provisions of the new anti-abortion laws approved in several states recently. "I am strongly Pro-Life," Trump tweeted Saturday night, "with the three exceptions — Rape, Incest and protecting the Life of the mother." It was the president's first reference to the new laws, USA Today reports, though he didn't mention any of the states directly. He included anti-abortion laws in his State of the Union address in February. The new Alabama law, for example, makes no exceptions in the case of rape or incest. Televangelist Pat Robertson is among those who have said that legislation goes "too far."

Trump called on supporters to keep a united front in their battle against access to abortion, tweeting, "We must stick together and Win ... for Life in 2020." Democratic candidates have seen opportunity in the new state legislation. Elizabeth Warren called the Alabama law "exceptionally cruel," per the Washington Post, and Beto O’Rourke said it's "a radical attack on women." During the 2020 campaign, a Democratic pollster says, "Radical laws like the one in Alabama will keep Republicans on the defensive in terms of being outside the mainstream." (More anti-abortion laws stories.)