Meet the Press host Kristen Welker challenged Trump running mate JD Vance’s claim that former President Donald Trump has “explicitly” said he would veto a nationwide abortion ban.
Speakers at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this week warned that Trump and his allies will work to ban abortion nationwide, despite Trump’s protests to the contrary. Those protestations have been unconvincing to many who have heard Trump’s boasts about ending Roe v. Wade and have read Project 2025.
On this week’s edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, host Kristen Welker pressed Vance multiple times by flat-out asking if Trump will veto a nationwide ban — and calling out Vance’s claim Trump has already promised a veto:
KRISTEN WELKER: Let’s talk about another big issue. It was talked about at the Democratic National Convention, it’s being talked about on the campaign trail: abortion. Democrats made the case this week and beyond this week that Donald Trump, if elected, will impose a federal ban on abortion if he wins. Now, Donald Trump says he won’t. But can you commit, Senator, sitting right here with me today, that if you and Donald Trump are elected that you will not impose a federal ban on abortion?
SEN. JD VANCE: I can absolutely commit that, Kristen. And Donald Trump has been as clear about that as possible. I — I think it’s important to step back and say, “What has Donald Trump actually said on the abortion question, and how is it different from what Kamala Harris and the Democrats have said?” Donald Trump wants to end this culture war over this particular topic. If Kamala, excuse me, if California wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California, and California has to respect Ohio. Donald Trump’s view is that we want the individual states, and their individual cultures, and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions because we don’t want to have a nonstop federal conflict over this issue. The federal government ought to be focused on getting food prices down, getting housing prices down. Issues, of course, where Kamala Harris has been a total disaster. So I think Donald Trump is right. We want the federal government to focus on these big economic and immigration questions. Let the states figure out their own abortion policies.
KRISTEN WELKER: Let me just follow up with you a little bit on that point. Because I’ve been talking to Republicans, including Senator Lindsey Graham just last week, who have made it very clear that if Donald Trump is elected, if you are elected, they will continue to press this point. Senator Graham said to me, “I’m going to keep saying that there should be a federal ban.” If such a piece of legislation landed on Donald Trump’s desk, would he veto it?
SEN. JD VANCE: Well, I think it would be very clear he would not support it. I mean, he’s said that explicitly —
KRISTEN WELKER: But would he veto it?
SEN. JD VANCE: Yes, I mean, if you’re not supporting it as the President of the United States, you fundamentally have to veto it —
KRISTEN WELKER: So he would veto a federal abortion ban?
SEN. JD VANCE: I think he would. He’s said that explicitly that he would. And again, Lindsey —
KRISTEN WELKER: I don’t think he’s ever said explicitly that he would. He’s said that to you?
SEN. JD VANCE: Lindsey Graham, Kristen, I would be surprised – I mean again, I need to see the context on what Lindsey Graham said. Because Lindsey Graham himself has not advocated a federal abortion ban. Lindsey Graham has advocated —
KRISTEN WELKER: A 15-week federal abortion ban —
SEN. JD VANCE: – a federal minimum standard. Now, to be clear, that is not Donald Trump’s view. Donald Trump disagrees with Lindsey Graham on this. But no Republican, at least no Republican with any reasonable power, is saying that we should have a complete national abortion ban. I haven’t heard that from any of my colleagues. And to be clear, Donald Trump I think has staked his position and made it very explicit. He wants this to be a state decision, states are going to make this determination themselves.
Watch above via NBC’s Meet the Press.
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