In a surprising twist, former First Lady Melania Trump has expressed strong support for abortion rights in her upcoming memoir, Melania, set to be published next Tuesday.
Excerpts obtained by The Guardian highlight her emphasis on the importance of women having the autonomy to make decisions about their pregnancies without government interference.
Her position sharply contrasts with that of her husband, former President Donald Trump, who has consistently maintained an anti-abortion stance and praised the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn the national right to abortion—an outcome he attributes to his judicial appointees.
While Melania advocates for states to determine their own abortion regulations, she insists that the fundamental right to control one’s body should remain with the individual. “Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the authority to decide what she does with her own body?” she writes, arguing that limiting a woman’s right to choose is equivalent to denying her personal freedom.
As the presidential election on November 5 approaches, abortion remains a critical issue, with polls showing that Trump’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, holds a significant lead among voters on this topic. Melania’s candid views could add further complexity to the ongoing national debate.