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AIBU?

about Trump saying women should be punished for illegal abortions

166 replies

cakeycakeface · 31/03/2016 12:02

I think he must have something wrong with him. Is he a narcissistic psychopath or something like that?

Seriously. What kind of head does this sort of rubbish come from? I simply do not understand his appeal. I feel like I must inhabit a parallel universe or something.

http://gu.com/p/4txkv?CMP=Share iOSAppp_Other

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Lweji · 31/03/2016 12:04

Previously to his nomination campaign he was pro-choice.
These days he tends to say whatever he thinks it will gain the most votes for him.
It seems he has retracted what he said, but it's just another in a series of shock statements by a narcissist who cashes in the shock value.

Thefitfatty · 31/03/2016 12:08

He knows his audience. The Republican party has been reduced to a bunch of frothing-at-the-mouth ultra conservatives, and he says what they want to hear. I doubt he believes a word he says.

cakeycakeface · 31/03/2016 12:08

An odd retraction though, to say 'his position had not changed' and then try recant. Especially when it's difficult to misinterpret what he said.

“Do you believe in punishment for abortion – yes or no – as a principle,” asked Matthews.
“The answer is there has to be some form of punishment,” said Trump.
“For the woman?” Matthews said.
“Yeah, there has to be some form,” Trump replied.
“Ten cents, 10 years, what,” Matthews asked again, pressing.
“That I don’t know,” said Trump.

OP posts:

HopIt · 31/03/2016 12:15

But the men get off Scott free.

merrymouse · 31/03/2016 12:15

It sounds as though he had no clue what he was talking about and was just trying to say what he thought the anti abortion lobby wanted to hear, not knowing (or caring) that they tend to portray women who have had abortions as victims.

I think his appeal is that:

people find his vehement ignorance in the face of complexity comforting.
they can't tell the difference (or don't care about the difference) between voting for a potential president and voting on a reality TV show.

wonderingsoul · 31/03/2016 12:15

I worry not only for America but the world if he gets elected. He's Hitler reincarnated as far as I'm concerned.

He's been dubbed a narcasist

catewood21 · 31/03/2016 12:15

I hate Trump, but I think this has been misreported.
he was asked if a law was passed making abortion illegal , should then there be a punishment for breaking that law.
If he said 'no' then he is seen not to be in support of the law being upheld, if he says yes than he opens himself up to being misreported.
Don't get me wrong I dislike Trump with every fibre of my being, but I do not agree with misrepresentative reporting

Lweji · 31/03/2016 12:15

His reply is simply in line with what he's been saying about everything else, from the economy, immigrants, foreign policy, defense, terrorism.
Bumbling messy meaningless messages that somehow sound good for his target audience.

merrymouse · 31/03/2016 12:18

he was asked if a law was passed making abortion illegal , should then there be a punishment for breaking that law.

Generally people carrying out abortions have been the target of abortion laws, not the women having the abortion.

icanteven · 31/03/2016 12:22

The pro-life movement in the US is profoundly inconsistent and illogical. Trump is not pro-life, so he is unfamiliar with the knots actual pro-lifers tie themselves up in, so it was inevitable that he would stumble.

What he said was actually more logical than the pro-life position. Is abortion was made illegal in the US, as the pro-life movement desires, then yes, of course a woman who has one should be prosecuted and not just the abortion provider. Bear in mind that they are saying that abortion is murder. To NOT prosecute her is to say that women cannot be held responsible for their (irrational, feminine) decisions and choices. It would basically be denying us agency.

But the movement would really struggle to get support if it took the line that women who have abortions should be prosecuted, so they say that only the abortion provider should be charged.

It's all about what you can get away with (as a pro-lifer). The anti abortion policy in Ireland would be out the window in a fortnight if there weren't several 90 minute flights every hour from Ireland to the UK.

icanteven · 31/03/2016 12:27

(Obv am massively prochoice, in case that wasn't abundantly clear)

BarbarianMum · 31/03/2016 12:28

Yes but if you think about it, why? It seems hypocritical to me to criminalise abortion but then absolve women from punishment for seeking one.

I am not saying that I think abortion should be illegal, or that women should be punished for having an abortion, I'm pro choice and think women are entitled to full bodily autonomy. I just feel like the anti-abortion coalition would be less supported (esp by women) if the harm they do was more visible. Doctors, in that sense, are easier targets to demonise.

Lweji · 31/03/2016 12:28

He has been asked about his position on abortion. He claims to be pro-life, but has been avoiding being specific about it. The journalist wanted to know what his position actually entailed.

merrymouse · 31/03/2016 12:32

Yes but if you think about it, why? It seems hypocritical to me to criminalise abortion but then absolve women from punishment for seeking one.

silly! You are assuming women know their own minds!!!

flingingmelon · 31/03/2016 12:49

Agree that this has been misreported. The whole thing strikes me as an opportunity for Trump to say whatever he thinks will win votes and then retract it later on if he needs to.

Won't stop Hillary doing a cautious little victory dance over the negative press though - I wish her great enjoyment whilst she does it. She's in for such a beating from that bully.

Lweji · 31/03/2016 12:55

She's in for such a beating from that bully.

I don't know that she is.

National polls show that only Kasich has any chance of beating any Democrat candidates. (if the election was now)

misskelly · 31/03/2016 12:56

I don't think this has been misreported at all. I know there is the argument that he said women should be punished if abortion was made illegal, but you are missing the part of an interview were he has stated that if he was elected president he would make abortion illegal.

He is a man of zero integrity, switching from pro choice to anti abortion and embrassing religion and hanging out with evangelicals, this man will do or say anything to get elected. Did any one watch the documentary about him last night?

BananaInPyjama · 01/04/2016 00:56

a mate works in a US clinic. Her beef is that they protesters (very active) want to prevent abortions but once a baby is born, just ignore the difficulties.

No help whatsoever for the (very often) poor unsupported women and new babies.

Trump is scary- more so than the extremely dense George W

BirthdayBetty · 01/04/2016 01:03

I've just watched 'Trump: can he win', he comes across as a psychopath. I'm just glad I'm not in the US

austounding · 01/04/2016 01:05

I deliberately avoided the documentary misskelly - thought it might not be good for my blood pressure. Is it an important watch?

Trump supporters make me feel like I'm on another planet. I just don't understand it.

NotnowNigel · 01/04/2016 01:06

I agree with Wonderingsoul

I worry not only for America but the world if he gets elected. He's Hitler reincarnated as far as I'm concerned.

LikeDylanInTheMovies · 01/04/2016 02:03

He's Hitler reincarnated as far as I'm concerned.

Can I be the first to call Goodwin's law? It is a lazy and displays a poor understanding of history. Also comparing Trump - dangerous and unpleasant though he is - to the man who masterminded the holocaust does rather trivialise the scale of that attrocity.

herecomethepotatoes · 01/04/2016 03:31

He was right. If it was illegal then someone having it done should be punished.

Just because you disagree with a law doesn't mean you should be able to dis-regard it. That goes for any law, be they as emotive as abortion or something simpler like the national speed limit.

Happily (better word?) abortion is legal in the UK up to a certain stage of pregnancy. If someone were to have an abortion later ie. an illegal abortion, then they can and should be prosecuted.

Lweji · 01/04/2016 05:15

The point of the question he's asked was to ascertain his position as pro-life and what it would entail for women if he won and implemented his pro-life policies.

TitusAndromedon · 01/04/2016 05:15

This hasn't been misreported. I watched the exchange and this is what he said. The problem is that, as others mentioned, he got himself in a quagmire because he wants to appeal to the evangelical voters, who are anti-abortion, but he doesn't know enough about the nuances of the debate.

We'll see more of this anytime Trump is asked to actually offer policies. He's full of bluster about bombing ISIS, building a wall, etc, but he can't explain how he will do these things, where the money will come from, or any of the other practicalities.

It's been frustrating to see how rarely he is asked to explain how he will do these things, but as the campaign continues and he is pressed on these matters, he will make more of these missteps. Unfortunately, his followers are so enamoured with him that they seem to have very little impact on his popularity.

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