Melania Expresses Support for Abortion Rights Ahead of US Presidential Election in Unprecedented Statement

Reveals Support for Abortion Rights in Memoir

About a month before the U.S. presidential election, Melania, the wife of Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump, declared her support for abortion rights in a memoir scheduled to be published next week.

Melania Trump [Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 2nd (local time), the British daily The Guardian revealed some pre-obtained excerpts from the memoir, including this content.

Melania stated, "A woman’s decision on whether to become pregnant should be based on her own beliefs and must be free from any government pressure or interference," expressing absolute support for a woman’s right to self-determination on abortion issues. She asserted, "Why should anyone other than the woman herself decide what happens to her body?" and added, "The fundamental right to personal freedom over one’s life grants the right to terminate a pregnancy if she wishes."

She continued, "Restricting a woman’s right to decide whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is equivalent to denying bodily autonomy," and wrote, "I have held this belief throughout my adult life."

Regarding late-term abortion, Melania emphasized, "Such cases occur in very rare situations that would lead to fetal death or stillbirth," and stressed, "Timing is important."

Melania is known for rarely revealing her political views. It is also unusual for her to take a stance that directly contradicts former President Trump or the Republican Party.

In the U.S. presidential election, the issue of abortion rights is considered a crucial policy matter that could sway female voters in key battleground states such as Arizona. The Democratic Party criticizes that the Supreme Court, reshaped with a conservative majority during Trump’s presidency, made a decision in 2022 to overturn abortion rights, putting women’s right to self-determination in serious jeopardy.