evidence: Trump says he brought abortion "back to states" Trump leaned on his catchall response to questions on abortion rights, saying the issue should be left up to the states. In states allowing the citizen initiative and where abortion access has been on the ballot, voters have resoundingly affirmed the right to abortion. But voters don’t have a direct say in about half the states. In states that will have abortion on the ballot this year, anti-abortion groups and their Republican allies are using a wide array of strategies to counter proposed ballot initiatives. Trump has repeatedly shifted his position on abortion while boasting about appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn the constitutional right to abortion, unleashing a wave of restrictions on the procedure across Republican-led states. Abortion is a central campaign issue in the 2024 presidential election as Trump seeks a more cautious stance on the issue, which has become a vulnerability for Republicans and has driven turnout for Democrats. 9:23 p.m. Trump repeats misinformation on abortions later in pregnancy Trump parroted common misinformation narratives about abortions later in pregnancy during Tuesday’s debate. The former president has repeatedly made false claims about states allowing abortions after birth.