2 months ago
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Former US First Lady Melania Trump appears to have signalled her support for abortion rights in a video promoting her forthcoming book.
In the short video clip, Mrs Trump expresses her support for women's "individual freedom", describing it as an "essential right that all women possess from birth".
It comes a day after an excerpt of her soon-to-be-released memoir, in which she reportedly takes on an even clearer pro-choice stance, was published in a newspaper report.
Mrs Trump's apparent stance on the issue appears to contrast with the position of her husband, who has taken credit for helping overturn Roe v Wade, which upended the constitutional right to abortion.
In the black-and-white video posted on Mrs Trump's X account, she said "individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard".
"Without a doubt there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom," she continued.
"What does my body, my choice really mean?" Mrs Trump questioned.
The video comes one day after The Guardian published an excerpt from her new book, Melania, due to be released on 8 October.
In the excerpt, quoted by the Guardian, she writes: “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."
“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.
"I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”
Abortion access is a key issue in next month's 2024 election - and it is one that is the subject of major debate within the Republican Party.
Donald Trump's position on the issue has fluctuated. Last month, during the presidential debate with Kamala Harris, he declined to say whether he supported a national ban on abortion, saying it should be left to individual states.
Earlier this week, however, the Republican presidential nominee said for the first time that he would veto a federal abortion ban - a position that will put him at odds with many conservatives who want to restrict the procedure nationwide.
The BBC has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has sought to capitalise on Trump's position in an effort to galvanise voters.
She has regularly cast Trump as a threat to women's autonomy because of the overturning of Roe v Wade, which took place after he appointed a conservative majority to the Supreme Court.
“Sadly for the women across America, Mrs Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives," Sarafina Chitika, a spokeswoman for the Harris-Walz campaign told the BBC.
