Melania Trump has voiced strong support for abortion rights in her coming memoir, taking a stance that sharply contrasts with husband Donald Trump on a divisive US election issue.
US Vice-President Kamala Harris’s campaign reacted quickly Thursday to Melania’s unexpected intervention before the November 5 vote.
According to book extracts, Melania Trump wrote that 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”.
The former US first lady’s opinion diverges from Trump, who often brags that his Supreme Court justice picks paved the way for the end of the national right to abortion in the United States.
Since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling, at least 20 US states have brought in full or partial restrictions, with Georgia banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Abortion is a major issue for voters, and the Harris campaign jumped on the apparent disconnect.