Potential Trump VP Pick Reverses Course on Abortion: ‘I Believe the Law Should be Changed’

Retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, considered a possible running mate for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, reversed course on abortion an interview with Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin on Monday, calling himself a “pro-life Democrat.”

TheBlaze previously reported that Flynn, a registered Democrat, said during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday that there is a “right of choice” for a woman to have an abortion.

“I think women have to be able to choose what they … you know, sort of a right of choice,” Flynn said, adding, “but I think that’s a difficult legal decision, and I think that women are so important in that decision-making process. They are the ones that have to make the decision because they are the ones that are going to decide whether to bring up that child or not.”

Possible Trump VP pick Gen. Michael Flynn on abortion: "Woman have to be able to choose." #ThisWeek https://t.co/AXyRZiMDL1

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC)

July 10, 2016

“This pro-choice issue is a legal issue that should be decided by the courts,” Flynn told Fox News on Monday. “I believe in law. If people want to change the law, they should vote so that we can appoint pro-life judges. I believe the law should be changed.”

He told Fox that the election should be about “national security” not “social issues, gay rights and abortion rights.”

Griffin tweeted that Flynn also told her, “If people are going to decide election on [the] abortion issue they should just stay home.”

Flynn’s initial remarks on abortion were met with backlash by pro-life activists.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List, said in a statement that Flynn has “disqualified himself from consideration as Vice President.”

“His pro-abortion position is unacceptable and would undermine the pro-life policy commitments that Mr. Trump has made throughout the campaign,” Dannenfelser added.

Trump has pledged to appoint pro-life justices to the Supreme Court, but he has expressed willingness to continue to fund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, and indicated he would like to broaden exceptions to the Republican Party’s pro-life platform.

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