Outgoing First Lady Melania Trump listens as her husband Outgoing US President Donald Trump addresses guests at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on January 20, 2021.
Alex Edelman | Afp | Getty Images
Melania Trump stood firm on her pro-choice abortion position on Sunday, despite acknowledging the divergence from the Republican campaign platform of her husband, former President Donald Trump.
“I want to decide what I want to do with my body,” the former first lady said in an interview that aired on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “I don’t want government in my personal business.”
“I let him be his own person,” she added, speaking about the visible disagreement with her husband’s views. “He has different beliefs, and he will do what he believes if he is elected.”
Melania Trump officially went public with her pro-choice stance on Thursday in a promotional video to preview her upcoming book, “Melania.” The book is set to release on Tuesday and expected to detail her abortion views further.
The Republican first lady’s stance on the issue is a notable departure from her party line and from her husband’s stated views.
Donald Trump says he believes abortion access should be decided by states, not by the federal government. He has repeatedly celebrated and taken credit for the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion.
But voters repeatedly rank abortion as one of the former president’s least popular campaign positions in national polls.
Trump has more recently waffled on his view, trying to strike a balance between appeasing traditional GOP voter bases while also appealing to undecided voters who could determine the November election.
In a social media post Tuesday, Trump said for the first time that he would veto any federal abortion ban if he won a second term in the White House.
The revelation that Melania Trump, who has been conspicuously absent from the campaign trail this election cycle, appears to align more with Democrats on abortion comes just a month away from the Nov. 5 election between her husband and Vice President Kamala Harris.
But she assured in the Fox News interview that her beliefs would come as no surprise to Donald Trump: “He knew my position and my belief since the day we met.”
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment about Melania Trump’s abortion stance.