Trump on Melania's abortion rights comment: 'You have to stick with your heart'

Former President Trump said in an interview that he told Melania Trump that she's "got to write what you believe" regarding her apparent pro-choice stance on abortion in her memoir that's set to release next week.

"We spoke about it. And I said, you have to write what you believe. I’m not going to tell what you to do. You have to write what you believe," Trump told Fox News Channel's Bill Melugin in an interview that aired Thursday.

"She’s very beloved," Trump added.

"But I said you have to stick with your heart. I’ve said that to everybody, you have to go with your heart," he said.

The former first lady released a video Thursday expressing her support for abortion rights and teasing her forthcoming memoir, in which she reportedly describes being a passionate supporter of a woman’s right to control her own body.

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to these essential rights that all women possess from birth. Individual freedom. What does ‘my body, my choice’ really mean?” she said in a video posted to the social platform X.

Earlier this week, Trump said he would veto a federal abortion ban if it came across his desk. He argued states should decide their own abortion laws, with minimal federal intervention, though he says his own preference is for abortion exceptions for rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in jeopardy.