Donald Trump will not pick a hardline pro-life candidate as his running mate over concerns that it would be electorally unwise, according to latest reports.
NBC reported on Sunday that Trump has been asking about the positions of various potential vice-presidental picks on the issue, with particular concerns raised about Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
“The president understands it as a treacherous issue — one that you can actually trip up and fall on your face with,” said a source close to Trump. “He’s concerned it will have a drag on the ticket if they’re seen as holding too staunch a position.”
Trump’s apparent red line is someone who supports anything stricter than a six-week ban.
Noem has signed into law one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, only allowing the procedure when the mother’s life is in danger. She has previously described herself as an “absolutist” on the issue.
In a statement to NBC, Noem clarified her position:
I’m pro-life, however as a mom and grandma, I want to help moms and families through whatever difficult situation they may be facing.
We have to talk about this difficult issue with heart and with compassion. We don’t win by hiding from the conversation. Women on both sides feel strongly about the issue. But the women I talk to everyday around the country are more concerned about how Joe Biden’s America is making it harder for their kids and grandkids to achieve the American Dream.
Scott, meanwhile, has previously indicated he supports a six-week federal ban on abortion. During his presidential campaign, he pledged to “sign the most conservative pro-life legislation that they can get through Congress.”
Trump’s position is a turnaround from the 2016 presidential campaign, when he chose the strongly pro-life Mike Pence in order to shore up support with conservative evangelicals.
Last month, The New York Times reported that Trump was privately supporting the idea of a federal 16-week abortion ban with exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, or if there is a threat to the life of the mother.
When warned that a proposed candidate does not support these “three exceptions” he is said to become “instantly dismissive.”
