Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump has thrice changed his position on punishing women for abortions if they became outlawed following a MSNBC town hall meeting in Wisconsin Wednesday. Although he purportedly changed his stance on the issue over the course of a day, Mr. Trump's initial comment that women should be punished for obtaining illegal abortions has incensed members from both political parties and both sides of the abortion debate.
Talking to MSNBC's Chris Matthews, Mr. Trump said there would "have to be some form of punishment" for women who have abortions if the procedure became illegal in the U.S.
Later in the day, Mr. Trump backtracked in two subsequent statements, according to CNN:
1. "This issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination. Like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions, which I have outlined numerous times."
2. "If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed — like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions."
Here are five things to know about Mr. Trump's statements and the reactions they have elicited.
1. His comments immediately incensed both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. "No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion," Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, said in a statement, according to Bloomberg Politics. "This is against the very nature of what we're about. We invite a woman who has gone down this route to consider paths of healing, not punishment."
Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood, tweeted: "This is a man who genuinely does not care about the health & safety of women — only about his political ambitions."
2. Democratic and Republican candidates were also quick to criticize Mr. Trump. "What Donald Trump said was outrageous and dangerous. I'm constantly taken aback at the kinds of things that he advocates for," Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton told MSNBC, according to Reuters. "Once again, he has showed us who he is." She also tweeted, "We can't let someone with this much contempt for women's rights anywhere near the White House."
When asked if he agreed with Mr. Trump's initial comments about punishing women for abortions, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said, "Absolutely not. I do have exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother but of course women shouldn't be punished," according to NBC News.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted, "Your Republican frontrunner, ladies and gentlemen. Shameful," and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Mr. Trump's comment "demonstrated that he hasn't seriously thought through the issues, and he'll say anything just to get attention," according to CNN.
3. Mr. Trump's comments could discourage would-be women Republican voters. "I feel like it's almost the end of something, like there needs to be a split within the party," Gail Noren of Alexandria, Va., told The Boston Globe following his comments at the Town Hall. Ms. Noren said she voted for Marco Rubio in the Virginia primary this month. "Trump discourages women like me from going out to vote. A gazillion things that come out of that man's mouth are offensive."
Political analysts say Mr. Trump's remarks against women, such as those relating to abortions, are eroding many of the gains the Republican party has made regarding outreach to women. The problem could be particularly acute in wealthy suburbs where college-educated women represent a key swing constituency, according to The Boston Globe.
4. The majority of women voters have an unfavorable view of Mr. Trump. A recent CNN/ORC poll found 73 percent of women have an unfavorable view of the Republican frontrunner, compared with 57 percent of men, according to The Boston Globe. Almost half of Republican women — 47 percent — said they would not support a Trump candidacy, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.
5. Mr. Trump says he is committed to supporting women. Regarding his standing with women voters, Hope Hicks, Mr. Trump's spokeswoman, said he would "do more for women than any other candidate," according to The Boston Globe. "Mr. Trump has received great support from women in each of the primary elections because women, and all Americans know he will make America great again."