Melania Trump defends abortion rights in tell-all memoir
by Nikki Schwab, Chief Campaign Correspondent For Dailymail.Com In New York, New York · Mail OnlineMelania Trump explosively reveals in her forthcoming memoir that she supports a woman's right to choose when it comes to abortion.
The former first lady shockingly writes that she's 'carried this belief' for her 'entire adult life'.
The Guardian has obtained a copy of her book 'Melania', which will be released Tuesday and tells how she holds starkly different views on abortion from her husband, former President Donald Trump, and the current Republican nominee.
'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,' the former first lady writes.
'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 continues.
'Restricting a woman's right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body,' she says. 'I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.'
This eyebrow-raising admission comes just one month before her husband battles it out in the presidential election with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, with abortion rights set to be one of the most decisive issues among voters.
Harris has framed herself as the 'pro-choice' candidate, while Trump has struggled to find a clear position on the issue.
Certainly, he has been happy to take credit for helping to pave the way for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that federally gave women a right to an abortion.
As president, Trump appointed three of the conservative justices who voted in 2022 to overturn Roe.
He has said he has 'no regrets' over the appointments.
While the overturning has been cheered by the anti-abortion wing of the Republican Party, the former president has more recently realized that the GOP has found itself imperiled over the issue.
Since the 2022 ruling, Democrats have had a succession of election wins by campaigning on abortion. It is thought that Republicans underperformed during the 2022 midterms becuase of it.
In August, Trump exclusively told DailyMail.com that he might vote to end Florida's draconian six-week abortion ban when it comes up in a referendum later this year.
Days later, after irritating the anti-abortion wing of his party, he said he wouldn't vote to overturn the six-week limit.
On Tuesday this week, Trump finally said that he would veto a federal abortion ban, having previously avoided giving a clear answer.
In her memoir, Melania writes that 'occasional political disagreements between me and my husband' are 'part of our relationship', adding that she believes in 'addressing them privately rather than publicly challenging him.'
Later in the book, she explains why she supports abortion.
'I have always believed it is critical for people to take care of themselves first,' she says. 'It's a very straightforward concept; in fact, we are all born with a set of fundamental rights, including the right to enjoy our lives.'
'We are all entitled to maintain a gratifying and dignified existence. This common-sense approach applies to a woman's natural right to make decisions about her own body and health.'