President Biden and other Democrats quickly responded on Friday to criticize former president Donald Trump following a report stating that Trump is in favor of a 16-week national abortion ban with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. The New York Times report caused a stir, with Biden's campaign expressing long-held suspicions that Trump would pursue a federal ban after appointing Supreme Court justices who contributed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

While Trump's campaign dismissed the report as "fake news," Biden seized the opportunity to condemn Trump's stance on abortion, accusing him of taking away women's freedom and insinuating that this could impact Trump in the upcoming November elections. Despite pushback from Trump's team, with claims that no decision had been made on a national ban, Democrats capitalized on the news, hoping to use abortion as a prominent issue leading up to the elections.

Notably, Republican and antiabortion leaders initially taken aback by the Times story, had been assured by Trump that he would not be tied down on the issue, raising questions about his reported stance on a 16-week ban. Trump, who has emphasized support for exceptions in the past, including rape, incest, and life of the mother, had been encouraged to consider a 15-week ban by individuals such as Kellyanne Conway and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

As the abortion debate continues to be a significant factor in political discourse, both Democrats and Republicans strategize on how best to approach the issue amid the upcoming elections. President Trump's reported views on abortion, particularly the 16-week ban proposal, have once again thrust the contentious topic into the spotlight, setting the stage for a heated discussion in the political arena leading up to November.