Hillary Clinton has caused controversy by saying that abortion is a ‘choice rooted in thoughtfulness’.
The Democratic presidential candidate claimed that she respects the beliefs of pro-life women but said that being pro-abortion is the “right way to go”.
Days earlier she drew criticism from pro-lifers for saying that unborn babies have no constitutional rights.
Thoughtfulness
In a television interview on Tuesday, Clinton said that she respects the “opinions and beliefs of every woman”.
She claimed being pro-abortion was “the right way to go” because abortion is a choice rooted in “thoughtfulness and care”.
At the weekend, Clinton made a similarly controversial statement by saying that: “The unborn person doesn’t have constitutional rights”, adding that it is the “woman’s right to make decisions”.
Mixed messages
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has also received criticism in recent days for sending mixed messages on his abortion stance.
Trump originally said that he believed women should be “punished” for having an illegal abortion.
However, hours later he backtracked stating that the person who carries out the abortion should face punishment.
Asked to clarify his position in an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed to be pro-life and said people had written to him “by the hundreds” saying he had given a “great answer” to the question.
Pro-life laws
A flurry of pro-life legislation has been backed in US states in recent weeks.
Last week, the Governor of Indiana, Mike Pence, signed a law which bans abortions on the basis of sex, race, disability or gender.
And in Kentucky, Senators have passed a Bill which would require doctors to perform an ultrasound and describe an unborn baby to its mother before an abortion.
The recent drive towards enacting pro-life laws comes after an undercover investigation into the country’s biggest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, last year.