CNN – Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he’s against government limits on abortion at the federal or state level, backing legal abortions through the entire gestational period while arguing the state should not play a role in determining abortion access.
In a podcast interview with Sage Steele that was released Wednesday, Kennedy said he doesn’t “trust government to have jurisdiction over people’s bodies” and believes “we need to leave it to the woman … to make those decisions.”
Kennedy stressed he believes “every abortion is a tragedy” and pledged as president to make child care more affordable to reduce pressures on women who are considering abortion due to high costs.
When pressed by Steele if he supports allowing individual states to determine abortion access for women, Kennedy said, “We shouldn’t have government involved.”
“I wouldn’t leave it to the states. My belief is that we should leave it to the woman. We shouldn’t have government involved,” Kennedy said.
“Even if it’s full term?” Steele asked, referring to the possibility of an abortion near the expected delivery date of a child.
“Even if it’s full term,” Kennedy replied.
The position stands in contrast with previous statements Kennedy has made on abortion, and with how his running mate Nicole Shanahan has characterized his abortion position.
In an interview with Steele released last week, Shanahan said, “My understanding is that he absolutely believes in the limits on abortion.”
When pressed by Steele to confirm if Kennedy supported no government limits on abortion, Shanahan said, “That is not my understanding of his position, and I think maybe there was a miscommunication there.”
In a statement to CNN, Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear said the candidate believes “late-term abortions are horrifying” and that the “the mother has the final say, and moral responsibility, in such decisions” …
