Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted online clarifying his stance on government abortion limits on Saturday.
Earlier this week, Kennedy told Sage Steele on her podcast that he’s against government limits on abortion, even if they’re full-term, sparking some backlash. His Saturday post appeared to backtrack on his previous comments.
“Abortion has been a notoriously divisive issue in America, but actually I see an emerging consensus — abortion should be legal up until a certain number of weeks, and restricted thereafter,” he posted on the social media platform X.
Kennedy, who first entered the race as a Democrat but switched his status to independent in early October, said he has always been a medical freedom advocate and fought for bodily autonomy.
In his post, he offered an example of when a woman pursues an abortion if her baby has a fatal condition that will only allow it to live for a few hours.
“Cases like this are why I am leery of inserting the government into abortion,” he said.
Kennedy said he supports the “emerging consensus” that abortion should be unrestricted until a certain point, which he believes should be when a baby is “viable outside the womb.”
“That is the principle that will guide my actions as President, whether implemented by Congress, the states, or in court. It is the right policy for our country. It is the will of the people,” he said.
Kennedy continued, arguing that more should be done to examine why abortions happen. He said that women cite economic reasons when seeking an abortion, so he developed a “More Choices, More life” policy that would support parents with affordability.
“Soon we’ll unveil out plan for universally affordable child care, which will cap child care expenses at 10 percent for most families,” he said. “And we will support woman in need so that abortion isn’t their only choice.”
Kennedy’s running mate, Nicole Shanahan, shared her views on abortion in a post after the Arizona Supreme Court abortion law made national news. She said she doesn’t like the idea of someone regulating her body, but would not feel right about terminating a viable life.