Pelosi on Trump abortion statement: ‘He either is stupid, or he thinks the rest of us are’

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted former President Trump in an interview early Tuesday, saying he is trying to appear moderate on the issue of abortion and suggesting his official position does not reflect any core “belief.”

“Well, first, let me say the issue about a woman’s right to choose, it’s a democracy issue. This is about freedom, freedom of women to make their decision, families to make their decisions,” Pelosi said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“So, when — what’s his name — said what he said yesterday, he either is stupid or he thinks the rest of us are stupid,” Pelosi continued, referring to Trump.

Trump announced his long-awaited official position on abortion Monday, saying the issue should be left up to states to determine their own policies and avoiding taking a firm stance on any federal abortion ban.

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Pelosi, on Tuesday, also criticized press coverage of the announcement that suggested Trump’s position reflected a core “belief.”

“He takes great pride in overturning Roe v. Wade. Takes great pride in it. And then the way the press wrote it up just cracked me up because it said, ‘Donald Trump believes that state—’ he doesn’t believe anything,” Pelosi said. “He believes in his political survival, and that’s what he’s trying to accommodate.”

“But you can’t be a little bit pro-life. You’re either there or you’re not there. And people see that. So, he may have outsmarted — well, I hate to say outsmarted because, what? It doesn’t seem to apply — but why would the press say ‘he believes?’ He doesn’t believe anything.”

The Hill has reached out to Trump’s campaign for a response.

Trump’s abortion policy announcement received mixed responses from the political right. While some pundits lauded the move, noting that an embrace of a stricter abortion ban would push away key voting demographics ahead of the 2024 presidential election, others attacked the former president, saying he disappointed both sides with his middle-ground approach.