Melania Trump Reportedly Breaks from Husband Donald on Abortion in Upcoming Memoir: ‘A Woman’s Fundamental Right’

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Leon Neal/Getty

Leon Neal/Getty

Melania Trumpis preparing to publicize a stance on abortion that contrasts with her husband, former PresidentDonald Trump, just one month ahead of the2024 presidential election.

In herupcoming memoir,Melania, which is set to be released on Oct. 8, the former first lady, 54, reportedly criticizes the government’s restrictions on reproductive rights, including those on abortion.

“It is imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the government,” Melania writes in the book, according toThe Guardian, which obtained a copy.

“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes,” she reportedly continues.

“Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my entire adult life.”

Melania, whomarried Donaldin 2005, later released avideo on social mediawhich expressed her support for abortion rights while promoting the memoir, seemingly confirmingTheGuardian’s report.

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard,” she said in the clip. “Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to these essential rights that all women possess from birth. Individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?”

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

The former first lady’s stance on abortion is at odds with the political accomplishments of her husband, who previously boasted that he’s “proud to be the most pro-life president in American history.”

In a 1999 interview, Donald said he considered himself “pro-choice in every aspect,” but when he sought the presidency in 2016, herebranded himself as “pro-life"on the campaign trail and called to “ban” abortions and punish women who get them. (He later redirected his ire at the doctors who perform abortions.)

Still, he recently said he would vote against a Florida ballot amendment in November that would protect abortion access in the state. Florida’s law currentlybans the procedure in most circumstances after six weeks, before most people know they are pregnant.

Donald and Melania Trump in Palm Beach, Fla., after voting in the state’s primary election on March 19, 2024.GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty

GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty

Last month, Trump suggested on hisTruth Socialplatform that reproductive rights will be a topic of the past if he’s elected, telling women that their current lives are “miserable.”

“Women are poorer than they were four years ago, are less healthy than they were four years ago, are less safe on the streets than they were four years ago, are more depressed and unhappy than they were four years ago, and are less optimistic and confident in the future than they were four years ago!” he claimed.

“I will fix all of that, and fast, and at long last this national nightmare will be over,” Trump added in the Sept. 20 post. “Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free!You will no longer be thinking about abortion, because it is now where it always had to be, with the States, and a vote of the people.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Duringtheir first presidential debateon Sept. 10, Trump andKamala Harriswent head-to-head on the topic of abortion, with the vice president vowing toreinstateRoe v. Wadewhile Trump celebrated the Supreme Court for eliminating it.

source: people.com