Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday the Arizona Supreme Court went too far when deciding the state can enforce its long-dormant law criminalizing all abortions except when a mother's life is at stake.
Arizona's high court Tuesday ruled that an 1864 law, which predates statehood, can begin being enforced in 14 days. The law provides no exceptions for rape or incest.
In Atlanta, Trump was asked whether Arizona's justices went too far.
"Yeah, they did," Trump told reporters after landing in Georgia for a fundraiser. "And that will be straightened out. And as you know, it's all about states' rights. That will be straightened out. And I'm sure that the governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason, and that will be taken care of, I think, very quickly."
Arizona Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs called for the 1864 law to be repealed, and the state's Democrat attorney general has said she will not enforce any bans on abortion, The Hill reported.
Trump also was asked about the Florida Supreme Court last week paving the way for a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, while also giving voters a chance to remove restrictions in November and restore abortion rights in most cases.
"It's the will of the people, this is what I've been saying; it's a perfect system," he said.
Trump on Monday earned the ire of some pro-life groups and politicians after releasing a video in which he said abortion laws should be determined by U.S. states.
In the video, Trump said he supported exceptions for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother.
"My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both," Trump said. "And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state."
The president of the prominent Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America was quick to accuse Trump of ceding debate on the issue to Democrats.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has been a strong Trump supporter, said he disagreed with the former president's comments that abortion should be left for each state to decide instead of a national restrictions.
Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized his former boss' position, calling it a "retreat" on the right to life and a "slap in the face" to pro-life Americans.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for November's election, fired back at both Graham and Pence.
"Sen. Lindsey Graham is doing a great disservice to the Republican Party, and to our country," Trump posted to Truth Social. "At first he wanted no abortions under any circumstances, then he was up to 6 weeks, where you're allowed abortion, now he's up to 15 weeks, where you're allowed abortion, but what he doesn't understand, or perhaps he does, is the radical left Democrats, who are destroying our country, will never approve anything that he or the Republicans want.
"They love this issue, and they want to keep it going for as long as Republicans will allow them to do so."
As for Pence, Trump wrote: "Former Vice President (thank you President Trump!) Mike Pence has been doing a lot of talking about abortion lately. He never felt I would be able to kill Roe v Wade and bring it back to the states where, according to all legal scholars, it belongs.
"He started at no abortion for any reason, and then allowing abortions for up to 6 weeks, then up to 15 weeks, and then, who knows? But it doesn't matter because the radical left Democrats will never approve anything on this issue, and Republicans don't have anywhere close to the number of senators necessary to make it matter."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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