Trump says abortion should be a states' rights issue, Republicans 'must also win elections'

After months of dodging questions about his abortion position, former President Donald Trump rejected calls to endorse a national abortion ban, saying he believes it should be a states' rights issue, though he declined to say a specific number of weeks bans should be set at.

"My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land in this case, the law of the state," Trump said Monday in a video message posted to his social media site, Truth Social. "Many states will be different. Many will have a different number of weeks or some will have more conservative than others and that's what they will be."

"At the end of the day, this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart or in many cases, your religion or your faith," Trump said. "Do what's right for your family and do what's right for yourself. Do what's right for your children, do what's right for our country and vote. So important to vote. At the end of the day. It's all about the will of the people."

Trump ended his message by sharing the key point that seemed to be the basis for his position: This is how Republicans will be able to win elections.

"You must follow your heart on this issue but remember, you must also win elections to restore our culture and, in fact, to save our country, which is currently and very sadly, a nation in decline ... Always go by your heart. But we must win. We have to win, we are a failing nation," he said.

The former president, who will be voting on a Florida abortion referendum in November, did not say whether he supports or opposes a measure on the November ballot that would broaden abortion access in his home state and undo the current restrictions.

Trump's latest statement comes after months of the former president dodging questions about his stance on the specifics of abortion restrictions, avoiding stating whether he supports or opposes a specific number of weeks when it comes to abortion bans.

He has insisted it's "probably better" that the discussion be left up to the states as long as they uphold three exceptions: rape, incest and the life of the mother.

In private conversations with allies and advisers, however, Trump has expressed support for a 16-week national abortion ban with those same exceptions, ABC News reported in February, citing two sources. At the time, his campaign did not deny the reporting but issued a statement that said he would work to find middle ground on abortion, which has become a familiar refrain for him on the trail.

In an interview with NBC News in September, Trump made a point of criticizing Florida's six-week ban, which is now on the verge of taking effect, as a "terrible thing and a terrible mistake."

In recent weeks, Trump had alluded to the possibility of some level of restriction at the federal level, repeatedly mentioning discussions about a 15-week or 16-week ban during media interviews, while still claiming he's not committed to a specific number and praising himself for sending the rights back to the states.

"I'm hearing about 15 weeks and I haven't decided yet," Trump said during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity in February. "Also, we got it back to the states where it belongs. Now it's in the states -- a lot of states who are taking a vote of their citizens and votes are coming out both ways -- but largely they're coming in with a certain number of weeks, and the number 15 is mentioned."

In his video message Monday, Trump made unfounded claims about Democrats pushing for late-term abortions as he claimed Republicans are the party on the side of life as he vouched his support for IVF procedures and certain abortion exceptions, including rape, incest and life of the mother.

"We want to make it easier for mothers and families [to] have babies, not harder," Trump said. "That includes supporting the availability of fertility treatments like IVF in every state in America."

Trump also took credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade while praising the Supreme Court justices who voted for it, going on to claim that people on both sides of the aisle wanted it to fall.