Sen. Lindsey Graham came out in disagreement after former President Trump announced abortion should be left to the states. (Getty Images)
"The states will determine by vote, or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land – in this case, the law of the state," he said in a video on Truth Social. "Many states will be different. Many states will have a different number of weeks…at the end of the day it is all about the will of the people."
This was shot down by Graham, who claimed, "The states’ rights only rationale today runs contrary to an American consensus that would limit late-term abortions and will age about as well as the Dred Scott decision."
"The science is clear – a child at fifteen weeks is well-developed and is capable of feeling pain."
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Other GOP lawmakers responded differently. Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., co-chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus, told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Regarding a national ban on abortion, I agree with President Trump."
"As a pro-life conservative, I do not support abortion but I believe the Supreme Court made it clear that the Constitution protects the right of states to determine their own policies," he said.
Similarly, former House Freedom Caucus Chair and Trump ally Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. Supreme Court ensured that states can now make decisions regarding abortion and I support the court's decision. The radical Left demands absolutely no limit on how or when pre-born babies can be aborted and who pays for it."
"I agree with President Trump – it's time for the states to fight for mothers, babies, and growing families," Perry said.
Republican responses to Trump's announcement were limited, continuing a pattern of apprehension when it comes to commenting on abortion, an issue that's been a political lightening rod since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
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Baldwin slammed Trump's announcement. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
While Trump said he did not support a federal restriction on abortion, Baldwin's campaign pointed out that the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which Trump took credit for, allowed a restriction on the procedure in Wisconsin from 1849 to go into effect.
"Montanans of all stripes don’t want the federal government telling them what to do, and they don’t want politicians or judges stripping away their personal freedoms," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in a statement to Fox News Digital. Tester similarly faces a competitive re-election race come November.
"While politicians in Montana are actively working to ban abortion in our state, I will always fight to protect Montana women’s freedom to make their own health care decisions," he said.
Tester hit Trump's announcement on Monday. (Drew Angerer)
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., suggested Trump's words weren't trustworthy in a post on X, reacting to the video.
"An old saying goes: ‘watch what they do, not what they say,'" he wrote.
"He'd sign a national abortion ban into law—no matter how much he tries to deny it," Kaine added.
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"Donald Trump has signaled that by leaving abortion up to the states, he endorses draconian laws like Florida's recent 6 week abortion ban, or Alabama's Supreme Court's decision that would outlaw IVF," Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., author of Women's Health Protection Act, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
In a recent March Fox News Poll, 65% of all voters said they supported legalizing abortion nationwide, including 42% of Republicans and 65% of independents.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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