MADISON, Wis.—Donald Trump is fighting to convince a skeptical Republican Party he can improve his standing among women, even as he takes back an explosive comment about abortion and attacks the credibility of a female reporter police say was illegally grabbed by the GOP front-runner’s campaign manager.
It took Trump’s campaign just hours to backtrack on Wednesday after he said that should abortion become illegal, women who undergo the procedure should face “some sort of punishment.” The plan sparked an immediate backlash from both sides of the debate, prompting Trump to release two statements clarifying his position. His second statement said only those who perform abortions would be “held legally responsible, not the woman.”
“The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb,” Trump said.
The flap comes as Trump works to hold off a challenge from chief rival Ted Cruz in Wisconsin’s high-stakes primary on Tuesday. With a win, Trump’s grasp on his party’s presidential nomination could be unbreakable. A loss would give concerned Republican officials across the nation a realistic hope of wresting the nomination away from the New York businessman at the GOP’s national convention in July.
Frustrated Republicans are privately grappling with fears about Trump’s impact on their party’s appeal among women and young people, yet few dared criticize the GOP front-runner directly when pressed this week. Their silence underscored the deep uncertainty plaguing the party — particularly its most prominent women — who have few options in dealing with the brash billionaire.
