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    • Melania Trump says she supports abortion rights, putting her at odds with the GOP

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    CHICAGO, Ill. -

    Melania Trump revealed her support for abortion rights Thursday ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, exposing a stark contrast with her husband, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, on the crucial election issue.

    In a video posted to her X account Thursday morning, the former U.S. first lady defended women's 鈥渋ndividual freedoms鈥 to do what they want with their body 鈥 a position at odds with much of the Republican Party and her own husband, who has struggled to find a consistent message on abortion while wedged between anti-abortion supporters within his base and the majority of Americans who support abortion rights.

    鈥淚ndividual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard,鈥 she said in the video. 鈥淲ithout a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does 鈥榤y body, my choice鈥 really mean?鈥

    The video appears to confirm excerpts of her self-titled memoir reported by The Guardian on Wednesday.

    Melania Trump has rarely publicly expressed her personal political views and has been largely absent from the campaign trail. But in her memoir, set to be released publicly next Tuesday, she argues that the decision to end a pregnancy should be left to a woman and her doctor, 鈥渇ree from any intervention of pressure from the government,鈥 according to the published excerpts.

    鈥淲hy should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?鈥 she wrote, according to The Guardian. 鈥淎 woman鈥檚 fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.鈥

    Melania Trump writes that she has 鈥渃arried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.鈥

    These views contrast sharply with the GOP's anti-abortion platform and with Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken credit for appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade and boasted about returning the abortion question to the states. Democrats have blamed the former U.S. president for the severe deterioration of reproductive rights as abortion bans were implemented in large swaths of the country following the overturning of the landmark case, which had granted a constitutional right to abortion.

    U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign noted Trump's role in ending Roe v. Wade in a statement reacting to Melania Trump's defence of abortion rights.

    鈥淪adly for the women across America, Mrs. Trump鈥檚 husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives,鈥 Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said in a statement. 鈥淒onald Trump has made it abundantly clear: If he wins in November, he will ban abortion nationwide, punish women, and restrict women鈥檚 access to reproductive health care."

    Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would veto a federal abortion ban, the first time he has explicitly said so after previously refusing to answer questions on the subject. Abortion rights advocates are skeptical, however, saying Trump cannot be trusted not to restrict reproductive rights.

    Trump鈥檚 campaign did not respond to a request for comment Thursday about Melania Trump's book or video.

    Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the memoir is another example of 鈥渢he Trumps playing voters like a fiddle.鈥

    鈥淎s president, (Trump) made it his mission to get Roe v. Wade overturned,鈥 she said in a statement. 鈥淢elania stood by him, never once publicly disavowing his actions until weeks before an election where our bodies are again on the ballot and they are losing voters to this issue. Read between the lines.鈥

    Democratic strategist Brittany Crampsie called the memoir's release a 鈥渃lear attempt to appeal to more moderate voters and to moderate JD Vance鈥檚 very clearly extreme views on the issue." But she is skeptical that the move would work in favour of Trump, saying his shifting views 鈥渉ave already confused voters and sowed distrust.鈥

    Melania Trump also defends abortions later in pregnancy, asserting that 鈥渕ost abortions conducted during the later stages of pregnancy were the result of severe fetal abnormalities that probably would have led to the death or stillbirth of the child. Perhaps even the death of the mother."

    鈥淭hese cases were extremely rare and typically occurred after several consultations between the woman and her doctor,鈥 she writes.

    These views appear diametrically opposed to her husband, who has often parroted misinformation about abortions later in pregnancy, falsely claiming that Democrats support abortion 鈥渁fter birth,鈥 though infanticide is outlawed in every state.

    Mary Ruth Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law who focuses on reproductive rights law and history, said it is unclear if the memoir鈥檚 release so close to the election was an attempt to help Donald Trump. But she did note that Melania Trump's split from Trump on the issue is not uncommon historically.

    There is 鈥渁 pretty deep history of first ladies being more supportive of abortion rights than their husbands,鈥 including Betty Ford, a vocal abortion rights supporter and the wife of former President Gerald Ford, Ziegler said.

    Donald Trump promoted his wife's book at a September rally in New York, calling on supporters to 鈥済o out and get her book.鈥 It is unclear if the former president has read the book.

    鈥淕o out and buy it,鈥 he told the crowd. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great. And if she says bad things about me, I鈥檒l call you all up, and I鈥檒l say, 鈥楧on鈥檛 buy it.鈥欌

    The Associated Press鈥痳eceives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP鈥檚 democracy initiative . The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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