The Guardian: Melania Trump says women must have abortion rights free from government pressure in memoir
By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn, CNN
(CNN) — Former first lady Melania Trump says she supports abortion rights “free from any intervention or pressure from the government” in her upcoming memoir, according to excerpts of the book obtained by The Guardian.
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” she writes in the book, which is slated to be released on October 8 – less than a month before Election Day.
The former first lady, The Guardian reports, says that “restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body” and notes that she has believed this “throughout my entire adult life.”
“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, according to The Guardian.
She also writes in the book that she has disagreed with her husband on some immigration policies, The Guardian reported.
The memoir reportedly details the former first lady’s early life and her relationship with former President Donald Trump, her husband and the current Republican presidential nominee.
Abortion has been a key issue in the 2024 race and Donald Trump this week said hewould veto a federal abortion ban if he is reelected “because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters.”
Trump’s commitment – in the form of a social media post during the CBS vice presidential debate – came as Democrats continue to seize on the former president’s role in undoing national abortion rights protections as a major campaign issue. Trump appointed three members to the US Supreme Court who were critical to overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. The ruling led to a patchwork of state-level abortion regulations, including restrictive laws in several of the battleground states that could decide the 2024 election.
Trump has recently taken to casting himself as a “protector” of women, claiming at a Pennsylvania rally last month that American women won’t be “thinking about abortion” if he’s elected.
Melania Trump has kept a low profile throughout her husband’s 2024 presidential campaign, making only a handful of public appearances since the former president launched his third White House bid.
The former first lady’s office announced in August that her memoir, “Melania,” would be released this fall, describing the book as “a powerful and inspiring story of a woman who has carved her own path, overcome adversity and defined personal excellence.”
CNN’s Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
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