Flip-Flop

You may have heard Donald Trump say last night that a woman who gets an abortion ought to be punished. That is no longer his position. Ace of Spades brings us his new position. Ace has this headline for the story: Trump: Nevermind What I Said About Punishing Women Who Get Abortions An Hour Ago. My Position Has Always Been Consistent. Reagan!

Ace adds,

In all fairness to Trump, he doesn't care about policy and isn't very smart.

Pro-life groups are piling on Trump, because, well, he tends to destroy the viability of any position he holds.

I'm pretty upset that he's clowning up the immigration issue.

Three hours later Trump recanted:

If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb.

Ann Althouse writes,

The woman is a victim of her own decision? How does that respect the autonomy and full personhood of the woman? Those who want to ban abortion should take responsibility for what they are really saying about women, that they should be denied a choice they want to make. Unless you think the denial is based on women's inability to think for themselves and ascertain what's right and wrong and define the meaning of life for themselves, then you should hold women responsible for choosing to do something that you think the majority has the power to forbid and you want to forbid. If you think women are incapable of thinking for themselves, say that outright. It would take political courage. If you think women are capable and would be choosing to do something that is properly forbidden, then admit that they deserve punishment. Ah, but that too would take political courage.