Melania Trump defends abortion: ‘A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy’

It is unusual, if not extremely rare, for Melania Trump to speak out on almost any subject. The former first lady of the United States rarely opens her mouth in public other than to say “please” and “thank you”; much less to express political opinions or opinions that may be controversial. Hence, it has come as quite a surprise that Donald Trump’s wife has now raised her voice — or, in this case, her pen — to speak about women’s right to abortion. What’s more, unlike the Republican Party led by her husband, she has come out to defend women’s reproductive rights.

Melania Trump is releasing a memoir on Tuesday, October 8. Little is known about the book: its provisional title is simply Melania and its cover has not yet been revealed. But the British newspaper The Guardian has obtained a copy and released an excerpt from the memoir, in which the former first lady speaks about the right to abortion, a central issue in the presidential campaign and one that Trump has strongly attacked. “It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” she writes.

“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” the 54-year-old Slovenian-American continues. “A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes. Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”

This is the only excerpt from the memoirs that has been released so far, since no other previews of the book have been published: only a short video where she defends posing nude as a model has been shared on social media. But her words come as a huge surprise, because for the first time, the always silent first lady has expressed an opinion, and because her political position is not at all in line with the Republican Party led by her husband of almost 20 years. Since last April, Donald Trump’s official position — which took months to clarify — is that each state in the United States should decide on the right to abortion.

Abortion is no longer federally protected in the United States after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, a landmark 1973 ruling that had guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide. Trump played a key role in this reversal by appointing ultra-conservative justices who ultimately struck down a right that had been in place for 50 years. Trump celebrated the decision, saying, “Through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do it,” a sentiment that his wife, Melania, remained silent about. Now, approximately 25 million women live in states that restrict access to abortion, regardless of circumstances.

Since last spring, Trump’s official stance on abortion — which took months to clarify — is that individual states should decide their own laws. “You must follow your heart on this issue,” Trump said in a video posted on Truth Social, in April. “But remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly, a nation in decline.”

He added: “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land.”

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Melania Trump speaks about the assassination attempt

During his campaign, Trump has perpetuated the false claim that Democrats support abortion up to the ninth month and even after birth. He made this false claim during his debate with Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris, which was immediately challenged by the moderators. During the vice-presidential debate, Trump said on social media that he does not support a federal ban on abortion and, like president Reagan in the 1980s, supports exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is at risk.

Throughout this election campaign, as well as during Trump’s presidency (2016–2020), Melania Trump has appeared by his side at official events, state dinners, and some international visits. However, she did not assume a prominent role like other first ladies such as Michelle Obama, Laura Bush or Nancy Reagan, who each championed specific causes while in the White House. Despite frequent media appearances, Melania’s public presence has been far less significant.

Moreover, Melania has played a limited role in Trump’s current campaign. Doug Emhoff — Kamala Harris’s husband — frequently attends events alongside her and maintains a visible role, similar to Jill Biden’s support of her husband. Melania, on the other hand, has rarely appeared publicly with Trump or offered visible support, though she did defend him following the July assassination attempt. Their last public appearance together was over two months ago, during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 17. She has not participated in his major rallies, nor was she present during his trial involving hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, sparing herself the discomfort of witnessing the testimony of the adult film actress.

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