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Former President Donald Trump reignited controversy by repeating his baseless claims about “late-term abortion” during a rally in Michigan. Trump alleged, without any evidence, that in six states, including Minnesota, infants are terminated after birth. “In six states, you’re allowed to kill the baby after the baby is born. And you know, one of those states is Minnesota where this Tampon Tim comes from,” Trump asserted, referencing vice presidential candidate Tim Walz. He emphasized, “You’re allowed to execute the baby,” according to HuffPost.
Continuing his rhetoric, Trump remarked on a recent interview he gave, saying, “I just did an interview backstage with a very terrible person but she’s okay, actually. It was NBC fake news. She asked me about all sorts of things. She asked me about abortion and I handled it very nicely because you know what? That’s so overplayed… I was just telling this reporter the real problem and the real radicals on that issue are the Democrats where you can have an abortion in the ninth month.”
Trump’s unfounded claims quickly sparked a backlash on social media, with many users on X (formerly Twitter) expressing outrage. “He’s absolutely vile. No baby is aborted after birth. He’s disgusting,” one user wrote. Another added, “I don’t even know how anyone with a normal mind would even suggest this. It’s absolutely insane talk.” A third user urged, “I really wish someone would ask him about this during the debate. It is one of the sickest things that he continues to say.”
Others demanded accountability, with one commenter asking, “Could a journalist please ask him to cite the law that allows for killing a baby after it’s born? Ask him during the debate and keep asking until he answers.” Another echoed this sentiment, lamenting, “He just says whatever he wants to say. Why hasn’t this been more forcefully debunked? How are people so ready to believe this, when it’s so obviously false and he is such a well-known liar?”
Amid the outcry, one user shifted the blame to healthcare professionals, stating, “To all the OB/GYN physicians voting for this maniacally lying madman and offering no public pushback while Trump spews this heinous disinformation year after year… shame on you.”
According to CNN, Trump has made similar false statements in the past. In June, he repeated this claim during an interview with Fox News, saying, “Hard to believe, they have some states passing legislation where you can execute the baby after birth. It’s crazy.” According to NBC News, these assertions mirror those Trump made during the 2016 presidential debate and again in his debate with President Joe Biden, where he claimed, “They will take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth.”
