I’d put it in the same camp as Trump issuing his “defund the police” executive order (the one where he ordered the AG to defund any police agencies that use violence against perps) while accusing Biden of being pro-“defund the police”.
You push the message that you’re working for the black community to the black community through directly targeted ad buys, trust the Democrats to not publicize that Trump did something that would be attractive to their voters, and that the Republicans won’t publicize something that Trump did that would be negative to them.
Same here, you promote Melania’s message to suburban women and trust the right to ensure Omerta on the subject, and you’re golden.
I don’t believe Trump supporters actually like Melania. Probably less so now that she’s done such a haphazard job of standing by her man over the last 4 years.
Trump pro-life voters will be pissed, but I don’t think any will defect or refuse to vote. After all, the only other alternative is an even-more-pro-choice Kamala.
I feel it’s not going to be as easy for Trump as you’re making it out to be.
Trump has already been having a difficult time trying to successfully waffle on the abortion issue. He isn’t going into this election with a lot of margin he can afford to lose. He can’t afford to offend women voters and he can’t afford to offend Christian voters.
And as I noted, Trump can’t follow his usual tactic of ignoring the substance of the issue by making it all about personal attacks.
As I’ve already said, I don’t see any Christian Conservative voters defecting to Harris. But you mentioned the third alternative; deciding not to vote for either candidate.
It’s not like Trump has been an ideal Christian Conservative candidate up to now. Christian Conservatives have had to lean really hard on the Cyrus argument to justify supporting somebody who so obviously does not hold Christian values. Trump has never been one of them and Melania’s defection right now is a reminder of that.
I will concede there’s the Project 2025 argument. I’m sure that are wavering Christian Conservatives who are being told “You’re not voting for Donald Trump. You’re voting for the Christian dictator that will follow him.”
If they have already come to terms with his being the embodiment of all seven of the deadly sins, what his wife thinks isn’t going to shift the needle.
The only person I could see who could possibly be persuaded by this is a woman who is fundamentally MAGA but also pro-choice. If you are desperately looking for any excuse to convince yourself that Trump is pro-choice this could do it.
He’s not anti-abortion either, but he can’t come out and say that because a lot of his cultists are (the ‘states rights’ thing is a fig leaf for him). Using his wife as a tool to try and attract a few more stray votes from vacillating suburban women is pretty on-brand.
I also think she’s angling to avoid going back to Washington. I’m sure she’d very much prefer to sit on her ass in New York.
It’s a grift. I have no idea whatsoever what Ms. Trump believes (other than … in cash), but it’s a grift.
'Member all the “adults in the room” who were going to keep Donald Trump’s insanity in check? All the ones who weren’t related to him were fired (and endlessly trashed in the media and social). The ones who are related to him … seem to be at an increased distance.
Trump values the appearance that there will be human straitjackets serving to keep his innumerable worst impulses in check and provide balanced policy perspective. Then he quickly, summarily, and publicly dispatches them.
Trump’s not doing well with likely women voters. This is a naked play for their votes.
If Melania truly and authentically took a prominent position – against him – on such a pivotal electoral issue – first, her parents, then she would be at the top of the “To Deport” list.
She has never unabashedly bitten the hand that feeds her. It’s nearly inconceivable to me that she ever would.
Melania wants abortion to be legal for people like her. Rank and file Republicans are fine with that. They just want it to be illegal for those other people.
…Trump is joining an unbroken line of Republican first ladies who, since Roe was decided, have held personal views in favor of abortion rights that are at odds with those of their husbands’ administrations.
Examples include Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush. Only Betty Ford made her statement while her husband was in office though.
Will it alienate abortion opponents? Nah. Most of them are the kind of hypocrites who applaud protests at Planned Parenthood but are totally cool with IVF, which kills many more post-conception entities than abortion does.
Roe v. Wade was quashed. This thrilled many Republicans, and Project 2025 goes further.
Many women are less enthused. So when Vance now says he wishes to increase choice, Trump disavows conservative think tanks, Melanie now comes out with a non-influential opinion… this seems a tad insincere. They want to reassure these women and win their vote. They just don’t want to change what they did and might well do in the future.