Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump celebrated his moves that led to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade two years ago, saying, "I wouldn't have regrets."
In an interview with CBS News that aired Tuesday, Trump was asked specifically if he had any regrets over the 2022 Dobbs decision that did away with the 1973 High Court ruling that made abortion bans unconstitutional. Trump, who placed three justices on the Supreme Court during his first presidency (2017, 2018, 2020), said the issue is where is belongs — with the states.
"No regrets, no. I wouldn't have regrets. I did something most people felt was undoable," Trump told CBS News. "They didn't want it in the federal government, it shouldn't be in the halls of the federal government. It should be in the state governments."
Just prior to that, Trump said, "The federal government should have nothing to do with this issue. It's being solved at the state level, and people are very happy about it."
Since Dobbs, 14 states have banned abortion and six others have implemented restrictions from 6 to 15 weeks, according to The Hill. Amendments to protect abortion have passed in seven states, including Ohio and Kansas. At least eight states have measures to codify constitutional protections for abortion on the ballot in November.
That is exactly the intent, Trump said.
"What it did is it brought it back to the states and allows the people to vote. After 52 years we can clean up something that, frankly, has been a hot bone of contention. We want to unify our country. … It's now in the hands of the people," he said.
Trump also said he would not enforce the Comstock Act as president. Pro-life supporters want to use the 1873 law as a way to enforce a nationwide ban on abortion pills.
"No. We will be discussing specifics of it, but generally speaking, no, I would not," Trump said, adding that the Supreme Court ruled that abortion meds are "going to be available."
That June ruling said abortion opponents lacked the legal standing to sue the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill, mifepristone.