Trump stokes controversy by saying he opposes six-week abortion ban in Florida, his home state

In a defining moment in his campaign, former President Donald Trump asserted in a brief interview that he opposes the six-week abortion ban adopted by Florida, his home state, where a pro-abortion amendment seeking to reverse the policy put in place by Governor Ron DeSantis will be voted on in November.

"I think the six-week [ban] is too short, there has to be more time," Trump told a NBC News reporter when asked if he will vote in favor of Florida's Amendment 4, which will appear on the November ballot. "I've told them that I want more weeks."

Subsequently, the reporter pressed Trump on whether he will vote for the amendment.

"I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. Look, just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years, 52 years. I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path," the former president and Republican candidate responded.

Some pro-life activists took the words at face value, considering the former president claimed he would vote for Amendment 4, which seeks to repeal DeSantis' signature six-week ban.

"Trump says he will vote yes an amendment that guarantees abortion til birth. My gosh. Aside from being morally wrong, it’s politically miscalculated," said host and author Allie Beth Stuckey.

"I am fighting hard to get Christian women engaged in and enthusiastic about this election. Abortion is their biggest - though not only - issue. Doing everything I can to warn them against a Kamala presidency. Statements like this make that much, much more difficult," Stuckey continued. 

Lila Rose, a well-known pro-life activist founder and president of the organization Live Action, also sharply questioned the former president for her words.

"Totally devastating. President Trump just announced he will vote in support of Amendment 4 in Florida, which permits abortions on babies up until birth, without restriction. Pro-Life America, speak now!!" she said.

The American Solidarity Party, a pro-life and Christian political group, also questioned the timing of Trump's words.

"Trump is saying this in the context of a referendum that, if passed, would enshrine the right to the vast majority of abortions. This is not just pragmatism about what is possible in the near term. This is directly undermining the pro-life movement at the state level," the group posted on X.

Following the wave of criticism from pro-life activists, the Trump campaign clarified that the former president never stated whether or not he will vote for Amendment 4, but simply said he is against the six-week ban.

"President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short," Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for Trump's campaign, told Fox News Digital.

Earlier, several Florida Republican politicians, religious leaders and also the Catholic bishops opposed Amendment 4 outright.

"We urge all Floridians of goodwill to stand against the legalization of late-term abortion and oppose the abortion amendment. In doing so, we will not only protect the weakest, most innocent, and defenseless of human life among us but also countless women throughout the state from the harms of abortion," the Florida Catholic bishops said in a statement on Amendment 4.

Trump's comments come as the Harris-Walz campaign is actively attempting to link the Trump-Vance formula to a national abortion ban.

However, Trump has repeatedly said he opposes both a national ban and late-term abortion, trying to find a middle ground between the pro-life and pro-choice movements at a time when Harris is widely favored in polls regarding the handling of abortion nationally.