Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an independent candidate, has once again shifted his position on the contentious issue of abortion.
He now asserts that he endorses abortion only up to a certain point, rather than supporting full-term abortions.
Kennedy's announcement came late on Friday, following pressure from his campaign team. In a statement released on X, he retracted his previous support for "full-term abortions." "Abortion has been a notoriously divisive issue in America, but actually I see an emerging consensus abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter," he stated.
Kennedy further elaborated, "Once the baby is viable outside the womb, it should have rights and it deserves societys protection."
This recent modification in Kennedy's stance on the divisive issue comes in the wake of his statement last week, where he indicated that he would permit women to have full-term abortions.
During a conversation with Sage Steele, a former ESPN host and current podcaster, Kennedy was asked about the limit for women to have an abortion. Steele queried, "Should there be a limit or are you saying all the way up to full term, a woman has a right to have an abortion?"
Kennedy responded by saying that he didn't believe anyone would want to opt for an abortion at eight months of pregnancy, but the decision should be left to women rather than the government.
"Even if its full-term," Kennedy said in response to a follow-up question. "I dont think its ever OK," he added. When Steele suggested that this would permit late-term abortions, Kennedy reiterated, "I think we have to leave it to the women rather than the state."
Kennedy's response left his running mate, Nicole Shanahan, taken aback during her interview with Steele, which was released a week earlier.
"My understanding with Bobbys position is that, you know, every abortion is a tragedy, is a loss of life," Shanahan stated. "My understanding is that he absolutely believes in limits on abortion, and weve talked about this. I do not think, I dont know where that came from."
Shanahan continued, "That is not my understanding of his position and I think maybe there was a miscommunication there."
Kennedy's latest clarification follows his previous assertion that he would support a much stricter stance on abortion.
In an interview with NBC News in August of the previous year, Kennedy stated that if elected, he would endorse a national abortion ban after the first three months of pregnancy. However, his campaign later retracted these comments.
Kennedy told NBC News, "I believe a decision to abort a child should be up to the women during the first three months of life." When asked if this meant endorsing a federal ban at 15 or 21 weeks, he affirmed.
Kennedy's campaign subsequently released a statement, clarifying that the candidate had "misunderstood" the repeated questions on the topic.
"Mr. Kennedy misunderstood a question posed to him by an NBC reporter in a crowded, noisy exhibit hall at the Iowa State Fair," a spokesperson clarified. The candidate's stance on abortion was described as "always" being the woman's right to choose. Kennedy "does not support legislation banning abortion," the campaign added.
Kennedy and Shanahan are scheduled to address a campaign rally in Austin, TX on Monday. This will be the first time the duo will appear together in person since Kennedy announced Shanahan as his vice presidential pick.
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