Hillary Clinton on Thursday slammed Donald Trump’s comments about punishments that would come with a ban on abortion, but noted that he was only vocalizing a position that all Republicans hold.
“It was outrageous that he would be advocating for women who exercise their constitutional right and have autonomy over their healthcare decisions would be criminals along with the doctors that served them,” she told Business Insider. “He did try to walk it back, I think pretty unconvincingly.”
She then pointed out that Trump’s comments were aligned with how most Republicans feel about abortion.
“What’s important here is that all the Republicans agree with him. They all want to see women’s rights eroded and for abortion to become illegal again,” she said. “That’s why so many state Republican governors and legislatures are defunding Planned Parenthood and shutting down clinics that not only provide safe abortion, but HIV testing, cancer screenings, and so much else that women have every right to access.”
“So he tried to walk it back, but I think you have to take him at his word,” Clinton continued. “And I think what we heard was a very unvarnished view that he has, and I for one have been very vocal in criticizing him and criticizing the other Republicans who are now embarrassed that he said what they all believe.”
During an MSNBC town hall on Wednesday, Trump said that if abortion were illegal, women seeking it should be punished. He quickly walked the comment back in a statement saying that doctors would be punished under an abortion ban, not women.
Watch part of Business Insider’s interview with Clinton:
