Donald Trump, who recently said he has “no regrets” about appointing the Supreme Court supermajority that overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights, declared on social media Friday that his administration will be “great” for women’s “reproductive rights.”

Trump’s use of the specific phrase “reproductive rights” — the language used by abortion-rights advocates — appeared to be an effort by the former president to refashion himself as essentially supportive of abortion rights and as a political moderate on an issue that has the potential to be damaging to him in November.

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“My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights,” he wrote Friday morning on Truth Social, his social media platform.

DNC Focused on Reproductive Rights

At the Democratic National Convention, the end of Roe — and Trump’s professed pride in appointing the justices who eliminated it — was a central focus. Women told haunting, personal stories about the dangers they faced being denied abortions after the ruling was overturned, with pregnancies that were not viable and that threatened their own health.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been at ease discussing reproductive rights on behalf of the Biden-Harris administration, talked at length in her nomination acceptance speech Thursday night about Trump’s role in curtailing those rights. She has framed Trump as a threat to “freedoms” — reproductive freedom and the freedom of economic mobility among them.

“I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home,” Harris said. “But tonight, in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions. And let’s be clear about how we got here. Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom. And now he brags about it.”

She also described hearing painful stories around the country, adding, “This is what is happening in our country, because of Donald Trump. And understand, he is not done.”

Trump watched her speech and posted on Truth Social about it roughly 40 times, often writing in capital letters to criticize Harris’ remarks on abortion and other issues.

The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe helped mobilize Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections, and Democrats believe it will do so again this year. Some 22 states have implemented bans on abortion at various stages of pregnancy since the end of Roe in 2022.

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Trump Tells CBS News He Had ‘No Regrets’

Trump recently told CBS News that he has “no regrets” about the Supreme Court justices he appointed who brought about the end of federal abortion protections.

Trump used to support abortion rights before declaring himself anti-abortion in 2011 when he was considering a Republican presidential campaign. He has appeared uncomfortable with how to discuss the issue of abortion ever since he officially became a Republican candidate in 2015. He ran hard to the right on the issue, trying to convince social conservatives that they could trust him. While social conservatives have applauded the end of Roe, his new language is not likely to please them.

“My advice: When you’re in a hole stop digging,” said Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council and a social conservative who wanted tougher anti-abortion language in the Republican National Committee platform. “This week made clear, the DNC has the corner on the abortion market. He is not only suppressing his own support, he is going to hurt the vast majority of Republican candidates who are 100% pro-life.”

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He struggled for months this year during the Republican presidential primaries with how to discuss the issue, privately saying he “liked” a 16-week abortion ban as he considered what ground to stake out. Ultimately, he publicly said he supports returning the issue to states to decide, but has said he wouldn’t sign a federal abortion ban.

Democrats are skeptical of that statement, and believe if he wins another term he will be guided by conservatives seeking more restrictive measures on reproductive rights.

On Thursday night, hours before using the language employed by abortion-rights activists, Trump once again falsely claimed that “everyone” wanted Roe “terminated” and brought back to the states. In reality, Democrats forcefully opposed the move and lobbied against it.

A spokesperson for Trump did not immediately respond to an email asking for clarification on why he was staking out new ground.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Maggie Haberman and Shane Goldmacher/Doug Mills
c. 2024 The New York Times Company