Former first lady Melania Trump is drawing heat from pro-life advocates over an excerpt in her memoir where she suggests a woman’s right to choose an abortion is a ‘fundamental right of individual liberty,’ according to a report Wednesday.
Melania Trump wife of Republican presidential candidate and former President Trump, wrote the memoir entitled ‘Melania’ that is scheduled to come out on Oct. 8, per the Amazon release date. In the book, according to a preview by The Guardian, Melania expresses a viewpoint that has historically been at odds with the Republican Party’s platform.
‘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,’ Melania reportedly wrote.
‘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.
‘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.’
The excerpts quickly drew the ire of pro-life advocates who have already been disgruntled by some of Trump’s seemingly ambiguous comments regarding abortion.
‘Melania Trump’s support of abortion is anti-feminist and clearly outside the teaching of our Catholic faith. She is wrong,’ wrote Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America advocacy group.
Lila Rose, founder of leading pro-life advocacy group Live Action, also responded to a promotional video Melania posted for her memoir in which she states, ‘Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard… what does my body my choice really mean?’
‘Who is this Melania Trump, or Kamala Harris? Functionally the same exact position on abortion,’ Rose wrote on X.
President of pro-life advocacy group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, wrote on X: ‘The women of America are capable of great strength and creativity. They are naturally inclined to speak for those who are powerless. Abortion is not the source of their freedom and liberation.’
In August, Trump sparked confusion among pro-life supporters about where he stood on an amendment that would upend Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks’ gestation. Trump, after saying ‘I think the six-week is too short, there has to be more time,’ to an NBC reporter when asked how he would vote, later walked it back and said he would vote against the amendment.
Other spouses of Republican presidents, such as Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush, have been recorded either during or after their husbands’ tenure in office expressing pro-choice views.
Trump has also said he opposes a nationwide abortion ban and the GOP’s official platform softened its language about its abortion stances this year.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Melania Trump’s office for comment but did not hear back by publication deadline.