Doug Burgum (R), a leading vice presidential candidate for former President Trump, said Sunday that he has “evolved” in his position on abortion access in the eight years since he suggested women were unsafe before Roe v. Wade.
In an interview on NBC News's Meet the Press, host Kristen Welker pressed Burgum about a clip she played from his 2016 gubernatorial campaign, when Burgum expressed concerns about banning abortions.
“If you ban and make it illegal the ability to terminate pregnancies, it just makes it unsafe for some of the most vulnerable people in the world – young women who are scared, who are scared, who are in a position, you know, where they don't want to be in,” Burgum said in the 2016 clip. “America was an unsafe place for women before Roe v. Wade.”
Burgum said Sunday that his views on the issue have changed — the Supreme Court overruled the constitutional right to abortion two years ago — and has tried to align his current position on abortion with that of the former president.
Welker followed the segment by asking, “So, by your own standard, Governor, is America unsafe for women as a result of the overturning of Roe?”
“No, it isn’t,” Burgum replied. “And this is of course something that should have gone back to the states.”
“Let's be clear: That was a comment made over eight years ago. And certainly, I've evolved into that position,” he said, explaining that he now believes abortion laws should be left up to the states.
“And I have made it clear that I am against a federal abortion ban. I am aligned with President Trump on that, and this is something that should be left up to the states,” Burgum said.
Burgum dismissed the question of whether his views have evolved now that he is running for Trump's vice president, but said the main difference has to do with the quality of maternal care.
“Not at all,” Burgum said, on whether his evolution is related to his VP prospects. “I think you know and everyone knows that healthcare has evolved during that period. And I think we can achieve both goals. We can make sure we protect and honor life, but we can also make sure we counteract maternal care. And that is best handled on a state-by-state basis.”
