Republican White House nominee Donald Trump sought Friday to contain the blast radius of a fierce backlash over his remarks publicly backing away from right-wing positions on reproductive rights.
The ex-president has been under fire from conservatives over an announcement that in a second term he would ensure free in vitro fertilization (IVF) -- an expensive fertility procedure that many in the anti-abortion movement want to see curbed.
The rift widened as he hit out at his home state Florida's six-week abortion ban, calling it too restrictive and suggesting he planned to vote for an upcoming ballot measure that would make the procedure legal until a fetus becomes viable.
Trump, 78, walked back the comment ahead of a rally in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Friday, telling Fox News that "I will be voting no."
But conservatives had already begun criticizing Trump's ever-shifting positions on abortion, with a new Republican policy platform dropping calls for a national ban and the tycoon's recent claim that his government would be "great" for reproductive rights.
The pushback from anti-abortion groups on his latest remarks was swift, with activists warning that he risks alienating his base.
Evangelical theologian Albert Mohler said Trump's positions appeared "almost calculated to alienate pro-life voters" while conservative commentator Erick Erickson posted that Trump's abortion stance "will be a bridge too far for too many."
Trump's rally, in Johnstown, was notable for the absence of any remarks on reproductive rights, despite Thursday's big IVF announcement. The campaign of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was happy to weigh in on the issue, smelling blood in the water
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ