Donald Trump’s comments advocating for “some form of punishment” for women who get abortions is continuing to reap a wave of criticism—and Hillary Clinton is leading the charge.
In an interview with Business Insider CEO and editor-in-chief Henry Blodget, Clinton elaborated on her initial condemnations on Twitter, and did not believe Trump’s efforts after to walk back his statement.
“It was outrageous that he would be advocating for women who exercise their constitutional right and have autonomy over their healthcare decisions would be criminals along with the doctors that served them,” Clinton told Business Insider. “He did try to walk it back — I think pretty unconvincingly.”
After the Republican presidential candidate and front-runner gave his views at an MSNBC town hall—you can watch his comment here—Trump released statements that tried to temp the outrage from all sides, saying it was the doctors that should be held responsible.
“The doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman,” Trump said in his last statement. “The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb.”
Clinton’s first reaction called the billionaire businessman’s views on abortion “telling”, signing off the tweet with her own initial “H” in a marked stamp of disapproval:
Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. Horrific and telling. -H https://t.co/Qi8TutsOw9
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 30, 2016
“So he tried to walk it back, but I think you have to take him at his word. And I think what we heard was a very unvarnished view that he has, and I for one have been very vocal in criticizing him and criticizing the other Republicans who are now embarrassed that he said what they all believe,” Clinton elaborated to Business Insider.
What remains to be seen is if Trump’s latest controversial comment in a string of controversial comments will have an effect on Republican voters. The next primary is in Wisconsin on Tuesday, April 5, and the latest polls show Sen. Ted Cruz with a 10-percentage point lead over Trump, and a favorite to grab the majority of the state’s 42 delegates.
