North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum says he has ‘evolved’ on abortion

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), one of former President Trump’s leading vice presidential candidates, said Sunday that he has “evolved” his position on abortion access in the eight years since he suggested that Women weren’t safe before Roe v. Wade.

In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” anchor Kristen Welker pressed Burgum about a clip she played from her 2016 gubernatorial campaign when Burgum expressed concerns about abortion bans.

“When you prohibit the possibility of terminating a pregnancy and make it illegal, that just makes it unsafe for some of the most vulnerable people in the world – young women who are scared, who are afraid, who are in a difficult situation, you know, that they don’t want to participate,” Burgum said in the 2016 clip. “America was an unsafe place for women before Roe v. Wade.

Burgum said Sunday that his views have changed on the issue — the Supreme Court rejected the constitutional right to abortion two years ago — and sought to align his current position on abortion with that of the former president.

Welker followed up the clip by asking, “So by your own standards, governor, America is unsafe for women as a result of the overturn of Roe?”

“No, it’s not,” Burgum replied. “And, of course, this is something that should have been returned to the states.”

“Let’s be clear: this was a comment from more than eight years ago. And I’ve certainly evolved into that position,” he said, explaining that he now believes abortion laws should be left to the states.

“And I’ve made it clear that I oppose a federal abortion ban. I’m aligned with President Trump on this, and that’s something that should be left up to the states,” Burgum said.

Burgum dismissed the question of whether her views have evolved now that she plans to be Trump’s vice president, saying instead that the main difference is in the quality of maternal care.

“No way,” Burgum said of whether his evolution is tied to his vice presidential prospects. “I think you know and everyone knows that care has evolved during this period. And I think we can achieve both goals. We can be sure we are protecting and honoring life, but also ensuring we are fulfilling maternal care. And this will be best handled at the state level.”