Melania Trump: What does her statement on abortion policy mean?

Melania Trump supports abortion rights. Why her positioning could help Donald Trump – even though she contradicts him

They were words that surprised everyone. “Restricting a woman’s right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body,” wrote Melania Trump. That is her lifelong belief. She of all people, a pro-choice advocate?

Melania Trump is 54 years old, a former model and an immigrant from Slovenia. Above all, she is the wife of the incumbent presidential candidate Donald Trump. A former first lady who stands next to her husband during public appearances with a concrete smile, waving silently, more statue than person. And largely apolitical. Until now.

The British newspaper “The Guardian” first reported that on Thursday evening they quoted from an advance copy of the book “Melania” and that the entire work is scheduled to appear on October 8th. In it, Melania Trump speaks out in favor of the right to abortion. The clarity of her positioning, the vehemence of her words – both unusual for her. Especially because Melania Trump is publicly contradicting her husband. Just a month before he wants to be re-elected president. Is this damaging to him – or is it intentional?

Donald Trump lurches and is silent

Abortion rights are a central issue in this year’s US election campaign. According to a PewResearch Center poll, 67 percent of Kamala Harris supporters say abortion is “very important” to them this election. And at least 35 percent of Donald Trump supporters say this issue is “very important” to them. But what policies can voters expect? There is agreement among Democrats on this issue – and disagreement among Republicans.

Kamala Harris is reclaiming nationwide abortion rights. There is a consensus among Democrats that a woman should have control over her body. But while Harris campaigned loudly on the abortion issue, Trump lurched and remained silent. He doesn’t position himself clearly because he knows that only the hardliners in his party want to further tighten the laws. An internal party conflict. Should Republicans further restrict abortion rights? This question divides the party and its supporters.

In 2022, “Roe v. Wade” was overturned

White evangelical Americans have been loyal Trump voters for years. He mustn’t scare them away under any circumstances. He desperately needs their votes to become president this year. In 2016, Trump also won the presidential election because he promised to make the US Supreme Court more conservative. Trump wanted to help overturn the nationwide right to abortion – that’s exactly what happened in the summer of 2022. White religious people and some conservative politicians had wanted to abolish the right to abortion for decades. Trump was able to portray himself as the winner among these voters. As the architect of the abolition of “Roe v. Wade”. A radical image – which is now becoming more and more of a problem for Trump.

Since there is no longer a nationwide right to abortion, the responsibility falls on the states. Abortion is almost completely banned in 14 states. There are always disturbing reports of women who were raped or suffered miscarriages, some of them underage, some of them even died – all because they were not allowed to help them in their state. These cases move the country and cause loud protests. This puts Trump under enormous pressure because he now has to be clearer about which direction he should take with his abortion policy: become more liberal or more radical?

Why does Melania Trump appear to be turning against her husband?

Trump said on his network Truth Social in April that he wanted to continue to leave responsibility for the abortion issue with the states. Just a month earlier, he had spoken out in favor of a nationwide ban on abortions. A few days ago, however, he posted for the first time that he would not pass a national ban on abortion and would even issue a veto. An endless back and forth that unsettles potential voters. It is still unclear how strict Trump’s abortion policy would really be in the future. Trump is simply intangible. His running mate JD Vance, on the other hand, is considered a militant anti-abortion candidate. Vance dominates the profile of a Republican party that, if in doubt, wants to further tighten abortion rights. The problem: This attitude does not fit with the opinion in the country. The majority of Americans believe abortion should be allowed.

So there is a lot to gain for Democrats on the abortion issue – and a lot to lose for Republicans. Trump has to make politics with ambiguous positions, otherwise he will inevitably alienate some of his supporters: either the radicals or the moderates. In both cases he would lose valuable votes. And this is where Melania Trump comes into play: She can help her husband liberalize his party’s image. The timing of their positioning speaks strongly to this. Why else would she suddenly share her “lifelong conviction” with the world now, a month before the election?

Just don’t scare off voters

Melania Trump can now shine as a figure of identification: for all those undecided people from the suburbs of the swing states who have had secret abortions themselves, for swing voters and for white women who are flirting with the Republicans but have so far distanced themselves from Trump and Vance’s anti-abortion stance -Macho politics felt put off. Melania Trump is now creating a new incentive for all of these people to vote Republican. You could also say: The radicals find their role model in JD Vance, the moderates in Trump’s wife Melania. This further waters down the Republicans’ abortion policy. Maybe that’s the new campaign strategy: offensive ambiguity. It could be the only way for the party to protect itself on this Achilles heel issue.