Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Abortion

We covered Donald Trump’s comments on abortion last week that got him into hot water whether you agree with him that women who have abortions should receive some punishment or not. Essentially last week he took three different positions on abortion.

1. Women should receive some punishment if abortion is banned.
2. It’s complicated.
3. The woman is a victim and shouldn’t be punished.

I will have to give Donald Trump some credit for pressing MSNBC host Chris Matthew on his view in light that he is a Catholic.

But he showed the inconsistency we’ve come to expect from Donald Trump. In the same day he two diametrically opposed positions on the same issue.

He affirmed that he is pro-life who believes in “the exceptions.”

Trump was being interviewed by John Dickerson of CBS News for Face the Nation. Trump attempts to further clarify his remarks and espouses yet another position.

“The laws are set now on abortion, and that is the way they are going to remain until they are changed,” Trump told Dickerson.

“I would have preferred this to be states rights. I think it would have been better if it were left up to the states, but right now the laws are set and that is the way the laws are,” he added.

Dickerson asked if he would like to see them change.

“As of this moment the laws are set and I think we have to leave it that way,” Trump answered.  He was also asked if he thought abortion was murder and he refused to comment.

So in total on Friday we see Trump espouse a grand total of five positions on abortion.

1. Women should receive some punishment if abortion is banned.
2. It’s complicated.
3. The woman is a victim and shouldn’t be punished.
4. It should have been left to the states.
5. The laws are set and I think we have to leave it that way.

You know who else holds the position that “the laws are set and I think we have to leave it that way”? Hillary Clinton. Practically speaking she and Trump are effectively the same on the issue of abortion. Trump couldn’t answer the question whether abortion is murder, and Clinton was asked by Chuck Todd, “When or if does an unborn child have constitutional rights?”

“Well under our laws currently that is something that does not exist. The unborn person doesn’t have constitutional rights,” Clinton said Sunday on Meet the Press. “That doesn’t mean we don’t do everything we possibly can in the vast majority of instances, you know, to help a mother who is carrying a child and wants to make sure that child will be healthy, to have appropriate medical support. It doesn’t mean you don’t do everything possible to try to fulfill your obligations, but it does not include sacrificing the woman’s right to make decisions.”

I find it ironic she used the word “person” when describing the unborn child as Roe v. Wade left open the possibility for abortion bans if personhood could be proved. I see in the 5th and 14th Amendments that “persons” are not to be deprived their life without due process.

I don’t read in the constitution where women have the “right” to “make decisions” about whether or not the child can live or die.

Regardless, Clinton doesn’t want to see abortion status quo change, and apparently neither does Donald Trump. If both are nominated pro-lifers and unborn children lose.