On Sunday, Doug Burgum, the Republican governor of North Dakota and presidential candidate, stated that if elected to the White House, he would not approve a federal abortion ban — saying the decision should be left to the states.
"Well, my position is that I support the Dobbs decision, and this is the decision that should be left to the states," Burgum told Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press."
"And what's going to pass in North Dakota is not ever going to pass in California and New York, and wouldn't even pass in the state of Minnesota. I — that's why I'm on the record saying that I would not sign a federal abortion ban.
"It should be left to the states," Burgum said. "Now, I think people can say Republicans are extreme. I personally think that having a late-term abortion — having an abortion one day before a child is born — that's abhorrent to me. Some states allow that. I think that's extreme. But states get to decide where they want to fit on that spectrum."
Many Republican presidential candidates have refrained from discussing their stance on a federal abortion ban. Former President Trump has not provided a clear answer on whether he would support such a ban at a national level, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a six-week abortion ban in his state, refrained from giving a direct response as to whether he would support a federal ban.
However, other GOP nominee hopefuls, such as Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and former Vice President Mike Pence, have backed such a position.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.