Should Abortion Be Legal?

“I’m a practicing Catholic. I’m not big on abortion. But guess what? Roe v. Wade got it right. Roe v. Wade cut in a place where the vast majority of religions have reached agreement… the first three months or thereabouts, in all major religions. Next three months is between a woman and her doctor. The last three months have to be negotiated, because you can’t — unless you are in a position where your physical health is at stake — you can’t do it.”

“I don’t think the government should be telling us what medical products [we can use]. We can’t tell you what procedures we ought to endure. I don’t think the government has any business telling people what they can and cannot do with their body. I’m not going to be in a position… telling a woman to bring a child to term that she doesn’t want. I don’t think it’s a good solution. I think every abortion is a tragedy. And and, you know, as I said, I came from a family that was very, very divided on this issue… But I don’t think the government, I think the worst illusion, is that the government is involved in decisions that should be belong to a woman.”

Editors’ Note: On Sunday, Aug. 13, 2023, at the Iowa State Fair, Kennedy stated: “I believe a decision to abort a child should be up to the woman during the first three months of life.” To a journalist’s question about whether he would enact a federal ban on abortions after the first trimester, he answered in the affirmative. Within a few hours, however, his campaign staff released the following statement: “Mr. Kennedy’s position on abortion is that it is always the woman’s right to choose. He does not support legislation banning abortion.”