Donald Trump: 'There Has To Be Some Form Of Punishment' For Women Who Get Abortions If They Become Illegal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump believes women who get an abortion should be punished if the procedure ever becomes illegal.
During an MSNBC town hall, host Chris Matthews asked the presidential hopeful if there should be punishment for women who get abortions if they become outlawed.
"The answer is there has to be some form of punishment," Trump said, calling abortion a "very serious problem."
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"For the women?" Matthews asked.
"Yes," Trump responded.
Matthews asked Trump if women should be jailed.
"I don't know. That, I don't know," Trump stated, adding that it is a "very complicated position."
The billionaire, who said he is pro-life, was not able to explain how he would ban abortions as president.
"You know, you'll go back to a position like they had where people perhaps will go to illegal places," Trump said. "But you have to ban it."
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called it "horrific and telling."
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders also issued a tweet calling Trump's remark "shameful."
New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito called Trump's comments "horrifying."
"Criminalizing or punishing women for making their own medical decisions is ludicrous and only demonstrates the misogynistic world view the American public has come to expect from Donald Trump," Mark-Viverito said.
Pro-life leaders also criticized Trump, as CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
The pro-life website LifeNews.com quickly called Trump's comment inept, and March for Life said in a statement, "Mr. Trump's comment today is completely out of touch with the pro-life woman… no pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion.
Even some Trump supporters seemed troubled.
"I can't believe that you would punish the woman for that," one supporter said. "I wish I could put some tape on his mouth sometimes!"
CBS News Political Director and "Face the Nation" host John Dickerson said the remark is reflective of a broader issue that some critics have.
"This also underscores a criticism of him, which is that Donald Trump hasn't thought through the important issues," Dickerson said.
Trump issued a statement of clarification to CBS News saying the "issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination."
In another statement, Trump said whoever performed the abortion would be held legally responsible, not the woman.
"If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed - like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions," Trump said.
Late Wednesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie defended Trump, whom he has endorsed for president. He said he thinks Trump "misspoke."
Christie said he was at a Princeton University baseball game at the time the MSNBC interview aired, but he had read a news story that included Trump's subsequent statement. Christie called the statement "perfectly appropriate."
"I think he's perfectly correct, that if, in fact, there comes a time in this country when states are permitted once again to make abortion illegal, and someone were to perform an abortion, the person to be held responsible for that is the physician who performs the abortion, and not a woman who, quite frankly in my view – and I agree with him on this – is a victim there, as is the child in her womb," Christie said.
Radio host Eric Scott noted that Trump had initially said there should be some kind of punishment for women who have abortions.
"I think he misspoke," Christie said in response. "He obviously misspoke. He put out a statement."
Trump currently leads his Republican rivals with 737 delegates. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is second at 460. But a new poll has Trump down 10 points to Cruz in next week's primary.
