Abortion rights opponents and supporters seize on report that Trump privately pushes 16-week ban

By MICHELLE L. PRICE and CHRISTINE FERNANDO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A major anti-abortion group is praising a published report that Donald Trump has privately told people he supports a national ban on abortion after 16 weeks of pregnancy — though his campaign denied the report and said Trump plans to “negotiate a deal” on abortion if elected to the White House again. Trump, the front-runner to be the 2024 Republican nominee, has repeatedly refused to back any specific limits on abortion as he campaigns, though he frequently takes credit for overturning the Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to abortion. President Joe Biden says the New York Times report shows how abortion rights will be a central issue in the 2024 election. He says Trump is “running scared” by not publicly saying what he would do.