May 19 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said he favors exceptions to bans on abortion in a series of tweets on Saturday night.
The president clarified his stance on abortion in the wake of new restrictive laws that have passed in Alabama and Georgia, stating that he supports bans on abortion with three exceptions.
“As most people know and for those who would like to know, I am strongly pro-life, with three exceptions — rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother — the same position taken by Ronald Reagan,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Trump also praised a number of federal judges throughout the country and the two Supreme Court Justices he has appointed since taking office for supporting legislation that limits abortions.
The president’s comments come after Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed a near total ban on abortion into law on Wednesday.
The Alabama bill includes an exception for when the life of the mother is at risk, but a proposed amendment to include exceptions for pregnancies that are the result of rape or incest was struck down.
The bill’s sponsor, Alabama House Rep. Terri Collins, said legislators crafted the bill specifically to force the Supreme Court to reconsider its 1973 ruling on Roe vs. Wade.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also signed a so-called “heartbeat” abortion law, which lessened the amount of time a woman may get an abortion from 20 weeks after conception to six weeks. The Georgia law provides exceptions in cases where the mother’s health is at risk or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.
Missouri’s state Senate passed a similar bill Thursday, which also carries a provision that would ban event completely if the Supreme Court overturns Roe vs. Wade. Missouri Gov. Mike Person has not signed it yet.
