Maggie Haberman Roasts Trump After Bombshell Abortion Decision Upends Campaign: ‘Trying To Have It All Ways’

CNN commentator and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman roasted former President Donald Trump after a bombshell abortion ruling complicated his attempt to address the issue.

Less than 24 hours after Trump released a widely-covered announcement in which he took great pains to convey that his actions have left the issue of abortion to the states, one of the states asked him to hold its beer. The Arizona Supreme Court upheld an 1864 law banning all abortions, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or health of the mother. The only exception is for the life of the mother.

So far, the only comment from Trump has been a statement from a spokesperson saying “President Trump could not have been more clear. These are decisions for people of each state to make.”

On Tuesday night’s edition of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, Haberman called out Trump’s original announcement as “A statement that was not clarifying.”

In a segment hosted by Anderson Cooper and featuring Republican pollster Frank Luntz, Haberman went on to accuse Trump of “trying to have it all ways” by taking credit for ending Roe but distancing himself from unpopular bans:

COOPER: So, Maggie, as we mentioned, the former president’s campaign said the position is that – should be up to the states. Does he think – I mean, he clearly thought he could kind of leave it at that yesterday, avoid maybe taking a position on your total bans like Arizona’s. That does not include exceptions for rape and incest.

MAGGIE HABERMAN: Yes, Anderson, I think that he and his aides thought that he was going to have more than a day of buying time with that statement yesterday. A statement that was not clarifying. I mean, it was saying that it should or will be left up to the states. He didn’t address where he is on a federal ban or if he would sign a federal ban if such a thing were to pass however steep the odds are in Washington if he were president.

And so now he’s going to have to address this ban. I mean, the argument from Democrats and the Biden campaign is by saying that it’s up to all states to pick what they want to do, Trump has endorsed all bans. And this news out of Arizona is really going to test that. As far as I know, he has not commented yet. There are a lot of people eagerly waiting to hear what he has to say.

…

COOPER: Maggie, the former president has reportedly told allies in the past that he believes abortion is a political loser. I mean, to Frank’s point, if Republicans are talking about it, it’s – they’re losing. Do you have a sense of how worried they are tonight about Arizona?

HABERMAN: This is something that is certainly on their minds about how to deal with it. I mean, I will note that the one out that Trump may take is that he stressed in his video, and he has said this in private discussions with people and public commentary, his focus on exceptions in terms of rape, incest, and life of the mother.

And this bill – this new law would have no exceptions, and that might be an off-ramp that he takes. But regardless, I mean, yes, Trump said, and we at The Times broke this, that Trump was saying to people, when the likely Dobbs decision was impending, that this was going to be bad for Republicans. He has recognized that the politics of this are bad for Republicans. He has also then gone out and said that he proudly helped overturn Roe v. Wade.

And so it’s a little hard to have it both ways, but he is trying to have it all ways. And he often does. He tries to leave all options open and avoid being pinned down. This is on a significant issue that a lot of women are very, very animated by. And looking as if you are trying to avoid saying anything, I don’t think it’s going to be a sustainable position for him.

Watch above via Anderson Cooper 360.