Don't believe what you see in the media. The media lynching has begun in earnest. That abortion
question was asked with the sole intent to generate a sound byte and make Donald Trump look foolish.
Here’s the
full exchange between Donald Trump and Chris Matthews of MSNBC. Trunmp actually make Chris Matthews look foolish.
QUESTION: Hello. I am (inaudible) and have a
question on, what is your stance on women’s rights and their right to choose in
their own reproductive health?
TRUMP: OK, well look, I mean, as you know, I’m
pro-life. Right, I think you know that, and I — with exceptions, with the three
exceptions. But pretty much, that’s my stance. Is that OK? You understand?
MATTHEWS: What should the law be on abortion?
TRUMP: Well, I have been pro-life.
MATTHEWS: I know, what should the law — I know
your principle, that’s a good value. But what should be the law?
TRUMP: Well, you know, they’ve set the law and
frankly the judges — I mean, you’re going to have a very big election coming up
for that reason, because you have judges where it’s a real tipping point.
MATTHEWS: I know.
TRUMP: And with the loss of (Supreme Court
Justice Antonin) Scalia, who was a very strong conservative…
MATTHEWS: I understand.
TRUMP: … this presidential election is going to
be very important, because when you say, “what’s the law, nobody knows what the
law’s going to be. It depends on who gets elected, because somebody is going to
appoint conservative judges and somebody is going to appoint liberal judges,
depending on who wins.
MATTHEWS: I know. I never understood the
pro-life position.
TRUMP: Well, a lot of people do understand.
MATTHEWS: I never understood it. Because I
understand the principle, it’s human life as people see it.
TRUMP: Which it is.
MATTHEWS: But what crime is it?
TRUMP: Well, it’s human life.
MATTHEWS: No, should the woman be punished for
having an abortion?
TRUMP: Look…
MATTHEWS: This is not something you can dodge.
TRUMP: It’s a — no, no…
MATTHEWS: If you say abortion is a crime or
abortion is murder, you have to deal with it under law. Should abortion be
punished?
TRUMP: Well, people in certain parts of the
Republican Party and conservative Republicans would say, “yes, they should be
punished.”
MATTHEWS: How about you?
TRUMP: I would say that it’s a very serious
problem. And it’s a problem that we have to decide on. It’s very hard.
MATTHEWS: But you’re for banning it?
TRUMP: I’m going to say — well, wait. Are you
going to say, put them in jail? Are you — is that the (inaudible) you’re
talking about?
MATTHEWS: Well, no, I’m asking you because you
say you want to ban it. What’s that mean?
TRUMP: I would — I am against — I am pro-life,
yes.
MATTHEWS: What is ban — how do you ban abortion?
How do you actually do it?
TRUMP: Well, you know, you go back to a position
like they had where people will perhaps go to illegal places —
MATTHEWS: Yeah.
TRUMP: But you have to ban it.
MATTHEWS: You banning, they go to somebody who
flunked out of medical school.
TRUMP: Are you Catholic?
MATTHEWS: Yes. I think…
TRUMP: And how do you feel about the Catholic
Church’s position?
MATTHEWS: Well, I accept the teaching authority
of my church on moral issues.
TRUMP: I know, but do you know their position on
abortion?
MATTHEWS: Yes, I do.
TRUMP: And do you concur with that position?
MATTHEWS: I concur with their moral position but
legally, I get to the question — here’s my problem with it…
(Laughter in the audience.)
TRUMP: No, no, but let me ask you, but what do
you say about your Church?
MATTHEWS: It’s not funny.
TRUMP: Yes, it’s really not funny. What do you
say about your church? They’re very, very strong.
MATTHEWS: They’re allowed to — but the churches make
their moral judgments. But you running for president of the United States will
be chief executive of the United States. Do you believe…
TRUMP: No, but…
MATTHEWS: Do you believe in punishment for
abortion, yes or no as a principle?
TRUMP: The answer is that there has to be some
form of punishment.
MATTHEWS: For the woman.
TRUMP: Yeah, there has to be some form.
MATTHEWS: Ten cents? Ten years? What?
TRUMP: I don’t know. That I don’t know. That I
don’t know.
MATTHEWS: Why not?
TRUMP: I don’t know.
MATTHEWS: You take positions on everything else.
TRUMP: Because I don’t want to — I frankly, I do
take positions on everything else. It’s a very complicated position.
MATTHEWS: But you say, one, that you’re
pro-life, meaning you want to ban it.
TRUMP: But wait a minute, wait a minute. But the
Catholic Church is pro-life.
MATTHEWS: No, let’s not talk about my religion.
TRUMP: No, no, I am talking about your religion.
Your religion — I mean, you say you’re a very good Catholic. Your religion is
your life. Let me ask you this.
MATTHEWS: I didn’t say very good. I said I’m
Catholic. And secondly, I’m asking — you’re running for president.
TRUMP: No, no…
MATTHEWS: I’m not.
TRUMP: Chris — Chris.
MATTHEWS: I’m asking you, what should a woman
face if she chooses to have an abortion?
TRUMP: I’m not going to do that.
MATTHEWS: Why not?
TRUMP: I’m not going to play that game.
MATTHEWS: Game?
TRUMP: You have…
MATTHEWS: You said you’re pro-life.
TRUMP: I am pro-life.
MATTHEWS: That means banning abortion.
TRUMP: And so is the Catholic Church pro-life.
MATTHEWS: But they don’t control the — this
isn’t Spain, the church doesn’t control the government.
TRUMP: What is the punishment under the Catholic
Church? What is the…
MATTHEWS: Let me give something from the New
Testament, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the
things that are God’s.” Don’t ask me about my religion.
TRUMP: No, no…
MATTHEWS: I’m asking you. You want to be
president of the United States.
TRUMP: You told me that…
MATTHEWS: You tell me what the law should be.
TRUMP: I have — I have not determined…
MATTHEWS: Just tell me what the law should be.
You say you’re pro-life.
TRUMP: I am pro-life.
MATTHEWS: What’s that mean?
TRUMP: With exceptions. I am pro-life. I have
not determined what the punishment would be.
MATTHEWS: Why not?
TRUMP: Because I haven’t determined it.
MATTHEWS: When you decide to be pro-life, you
should have thought of it. Because…
TRUMP: No, you could ask anybody who is
pro-life…
MATTHEWS: OK, here’s the problem — here’s my
problem with this. If you don’t have a punishment for abortion — I don’t
believe in it, of course — people are going to find a way to have an abortion.
TRUMP: You don’t believe in what?
MATTHEWS: I don’t believe in punishing anybody
for having an abortion.
TRUMP: OK, fine. OK.
MATTHEWS: Of course not. I think it’s a woman’s
choice.
TRUMP: So you’re against the teachings of your
church?
MATTHEWS: I have a view — and a moral view. But
I believe we live in a free country, and I don’t want to live in a country so
fascistic that it could stop a person from making that decision.
TRUMP: But then you are…
MATTHEWS: That would be so invasive…
TRUMP: I know, but I’ve heard you speaking…
MATTHEWS: So determined of a society that I
wouldn’t be able — one we are familiar with. And Donald Trump, you wouldn’t be
familiar with.
TRUMP: But I’ve
heard you speaking so highly about your religion and your church.
MATTHEWS: Yeah.
TRUMP: Your church is very, very strongly, as
you know, pro-life.
MATTHEWS: I know.
TRUMP: What do you say to your church?
MATTHEWS: I say, I accept your moral authority.
In the United States, the people make the decision, the courts rule on what’s
in the Constitution, and we live by that. That’s why I say.
TRUMP: Yes, but you don’t live by it because you
don’t accept it. You can’t accept it. You can’t accept it. You can’t accept it.
MATTHEWS: Can we go back to matters of the law
and running for president because matters of the law, what I’m talking about,
and this is the difficult situation you’ve placed yourself in.
By saying you’re pro-life, you mean you want to ban
abortion. How do you ban abortion without some kind of sanction? Then you get
in that very tricky question of a sanction, a fine on human life, which you
call murder?
TRUMP: It will have to be determined.
MATTHEWS: A fine, imprisonment for a young woman
who finds herself pregnant?
TRUMP: It will have to be determined.
MATTHEWS: What about the guy that gets her
pregnant? Is he responsible under the law for these abortions? Or is he not
responsible for an abortion?
TRUMP: Well, it hasn’t — it hasn’t — different
feelings, different people. I would say no.
MATTHEWS: Well, they’re usually involved.