Melania Trump has revealed she is a passionate defender of women’s right to abortion, in a shocking admission which puts her at odds with husband Donald’s political views.
In her upcoming memoir ‘Melania’, released on Tuesday, the former first lady writes: ‘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.
‘Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.
‘Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body.’
She adds that her position is one she has believed in for ‘her entire adult life’.
The revelation comes just over a month before America heads to the polls for one of the most divisive presidential elections in recent memory, in which women’s reproductive rights have become one of the most contentious issues.
Melania Trump has rarely expressed political views in public, and her interjection takes on further weight given both the contrast to her husband’s views and the severe deterioration of women’s rights under Donald Trump and the GOP following his time in office.
While president, Trump appointed three conservative judges to the US Supreme Court, who in 2022 overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that federally gave women a right to an abortion.
Trump said he had ‘no regrets’ over the appointments and has sought to take credit for the overturning, which has been cheered on by the anti-abortion wing of the Republican Party.
Since 2022, Democrats have campaigned extensively on restoring abortion rights and have seen electoral success on the issue, with the Republicans’ poor performance in the midterm elections widely seen as a backlash to the decision.
Democratic nominee Kamala Harris has also positioned herself firmly as the ‘pro-choice’ candidate in the upcoming election, whereas Trump has struggled to articulate a coherent stance following pressure from competing wings of the GOP.
In her memoir, a copy of which was obtained by the Guardian, Melania writes that ‘occasional political disagreements between me and my husband’ are ‘part of our relationship’, and says she prefers to ‘address them privately rather than publicly challenging him.’
Later in the book, she explains why she supports abortion.
‘I have always believed it is critical for people to take care of themselves first,’ she writes. ‘It’s a very straightforward concept; in fact, we are all born with a set of fundamental rights, including the right to enjoy our lives.’
‘We are all entitled to maintain a gratifying and dignified existence. This common-sense approach applies to a woman’s natural right to make decisions about her own body and health.’
She says her beliefs stem from ‘a core set of principles’, at the heart of which sits ‘individual liberty’ and ‘personal freedom’, on which there is ‘no room for negotiation’.
Finishing her appeal, she calls for compassion in a distinctly un-Trumpian fashion, writing: ‘When confronted with an unexpected pregnancy, young women frequently experience feelings of isolation and significant stress.
‘I, like most Americans, am in favour of the requirement that juveniles obtain parental consent before undergoing an abortion. I realise this may not always be possible. Our next generation must be provided with knowledge, security, safety, and solace, and the cultural stigma associated with abortion must be lifted.’
Melania’s memoir is reportedly a slim read, featuring long descriptions of her upbringing in Slovenia and her life as a model in New York prior to meeting Donald Trump and eventually becoming his third wife.
There are few other political statements found in the book, which features a blurb from Donald Trump praising his wife’s ‘commitment to excellence … insightful perspective … [and] entrepreneurial achievements’.
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