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Trump's Florida allies oppose abortion amendment as former president decides how to vote

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Trump's Florida allies oppose abortion amendment as former president decides how to vote

Allies of former President Trump in Florida are explaining which way they will vote on an abortion ballot question in the state’s November election after the Trump campaign’s clarification that he has yet to decide his position. 

A ballot initiative in Florida to amend the state constitution to enshrine the right to an abortion into law is known as Amendment 4. It states, “No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

Additionally, it says, “This amendment does not change the Legislature’s constitutional authority to require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion.”

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Trump allies, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., left, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., revealed where they stand on the Florida abortion amendment. (Reuters)

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Trump, a resident of Florida, was asked Thursday how he would vote by a reporter. 

“I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks,” he said in response. 

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA), promptly responded with a statement, saying, “President Trump has consistently opposed abortions after five months of pregnancy. Amendment 4 would allow abortion past this point. Voting for Amendment 4 completely undermines his position.”

“We strongly support Florida’s current heartbeat law,” she added. “For anyone who believes in drawing a different line, they still must vote against Amendment 4, unless they don’t want a line at all. Amendment 4 would lock unlimited abortion into the state constitution, preventing the Florida legislature from enacting any changes.”

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Republican Presidential candidate, former U.S. president, Donald Trump.

Former President Trump said six weeks was not enough time. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Afterward, SBA corrected the statement to add that Dannenfelser spoke with Trump on Thursday night. 

“He has not committed to how he will vote on Amendment 4,” she said. 

Trump’s campaign also issued a statement after his remark.

“President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida. He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short,” spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. 

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s office told Fox News Digital he will be voting against the amendment, which would enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution. A spokesperson referred Fox News Digital to an April interview when the senator explained his stance. 

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Pro-abortion activists outside SCOTUS

Advocates want to enshrine the right to an abortion into the Florida constitution. (Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

“My fundamental challenge, and that’s at the core of it, is I believe that the right from which all of the rights emanate is the right to live, the right of a human being to live. And that right to live when it comes to abortion is in conflict with a woman’s right to choose. And, so, we have to choose in public policy, what do we prioritize? The right to live or the right to choose in those circumstances. And it’s a tough choice for a lot of people, and I understand it. But, for me, I’m going to be on the side of life,” Rubio said at the time. 

Another Trump ally, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in a statement, “I do not believe abortion policy belongs in the constitution. This matter should be addressed by the state legislature.”

Representatives for Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Byron Donalds, R-Fla., did not provide comment in time for publication when asked by Fox News Digital how they plan to vote. 

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DeSantis, USA and Florida flags

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has come out against the amendment. (Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images)

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office did not provide comment but referred Fox News Digital to an outside campaign against the amendment, which is run by allies of the governor. Taryn Fenske, a representative for the Vote No On 4 Florida campaign, pointed Fox News Digital to her post on X in response to Trump. 

“Donald Trump has consistently stated that late-term abortions where a baby can feel pain should never be permitted, and he’s always stood up for parents’ rights,” she wrote. “Amendment 4 would allow late-term abortions, eliminate parental consent, and open the door to taxpayer-funded abortions. It’s extreme and must be defeated.”

DeSantis has publicly opposed the amendment in the past. 

Opponents of the amendment have pointed to its vague language as an issue, noting it could be read to allow elective abortion throughout a woman’s pregnancy as deemed necessary by employees of abortion clinics, rather than solely doctors. The amendment also does not define viability, typically understood to be around 20-25 weeks, leaving more gray area to be interpreted. 

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Another concern brought by the amendment is its language regarding minors getting abortions. The text says that the amendment would not change the legislature’s ability to require parents to be notified about a minor’s abortion. However, it leaves out the legislature’s authority to require parental consent for such a procedure. The amendment is understood by critics to overturn current parental consent laws. 

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.



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Southeast

Florida man stabbed off-duty police officer who tried to stop robbery, stole patrol car: court docs

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Florida man stabbed off-duty police officer who tried to stop robbery, stole patrol car: court docs

An off-duty Florida police officer who was picking up his laundry walked in on an attempted robbery at a dry cleaning business and was stabbed twice, authorities said.

According to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital, 73-year-old Glenn Gotell was in the process of robbing a clerk at Cost Less Dry Cleaners in Greenacres, Florida, around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday when an off-duty deputy entered to pick up his clothes.

Authorities said that Gotell had entered the local business and approached the clerk at the cash register and demanded them to “open the box.” According to court documents, an unidentified off-duty Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy arrived at the scene and entered the business and quickly became aware of the active crime situation.

When the deputy intervened, the suspect stabbed him twice, once in the torso and also in his hand. The officer was transported to a local hospital and is in stable condition, police said.

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Glenn Gotell faces multiple charges including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, armed burglary and grand theft of a motor vehicle. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

Authorities said that following the attack, Gotell allegedly stole the deputy’s patrol car, ditching it at a nearby intersection before hiding in a local library.

“The recovery of the stolen patrol vehicle was within minutes of the attempted robbery and less than a half-mile away,” court documents said.

During the search of the area, court documents said that local police spoke with witnesses, who said that Gotell was homeless. 

One witness allegedly pointed to two shopping carts, which were located near the entrance of the public library, saying that one of them belonged to Gotell. 

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Authorities also found a pair of blue jeans, a belt and a pair of Nike shoes that Gotell was observed wearing during the attempted robbery and later discarded during his escape.

Palm Beach Police SUV

Authorities in Florida said that Glenn Gottell allegedly stole an officer’s vehicle following the attempted robbery. (Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

Authorities went inside the library and located and arrested Gotell.

Gotell faces multiple charges including attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, armed robbery, armed burglary and grand theft of a motor vehicle. Police said the stabbing investigation is still active.

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Trump opposes Florida's Amendment 4, which offers unfettered abortion access: 'It's radical'

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Trump opposes Florida's Amendment 4, which offers unfettered abortion access: 'It's radical'

Former President Trump called Florida’s proposed amendment to allow for unfettered abortion access across all nine months as “radical” in an exclusive interview with Fox News on Friday.

Amendment 4, up for vote in the Sunshine State, would end Florida’s 6-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion in the state’s constitution.

“No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider,” reads the ballot initiative.

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“You need more time than six weeks. I’ve disagreed with that right from the early primaries. When I heard about it, I disagreed with it. At the same time, the Democrats are radical because the nine months is just a ridiculous situation,” said Trump.

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“That way you can do an abortion in the ninth month. And, you know, some of the states, like Minnesota and other states have it where you can actually execute the baby after birth and all of that stuff is unacceptable. So I’ll be voting no for that reason,” the former president asserted.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in the 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial on August 30, 2024, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Promising to cut energy bills in half, conduct the largest deportation operation in history and put a 200% tariff on foreign-made automobiles, Trump rallied his supporters in the all-important battleground state of Pennsylvania.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law in 2023 the Heartbeat Protection Act, which makes abortion after six weeks illegal in Florida.

“…Doing an abortion in the ninth month is unacceptable to anybody. And I think that, we’re going to have to do something about that. There’s some there’s something in between, but the six is too short. It’s just too short a period. And the nine months is unacceptable,” Trump said today before a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

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Trump previously caused confusion over where he stood on the proposed amendment, as his pro-life stance on the campaign trail has not been absolute.

“I will say this: You have to win elections,” Trump shared in a Fox News town hall earlier this year. “Otherwise, you’re going to be back where you were, and you can’t let that ever happen again. You’ve got to win elections.”

Election 2024 Trump

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial, in Johnstown, Pa., Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

The former president also takes credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

“Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court,” said Trump in 2022.

Election 2024 Trump

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at a campaign rally at 1st Summit Arena at the Cambria County War Memorial, in Johnstown, Pa., Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Droke)

Trump once called himself “the most pro-life president” in American history at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Gala in 2023.

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Amendment 4 is sponsored by a group in Florida called “Floridians Protecting Freedom” based in Sarasota. According to the Florida Department of Elections, the amendment has more than the 8% of statewide registered voter-required signatures to make the ballot at 997,035.

 The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Florida sheriff blasts DC over border after illegal immigrants allegedly steal over 9K pounds of berries

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Florida sheriff blasts DC over border after illegal immigrants allegedly steal over 9K pounds of berries

Multiple illegal immigrants were arrested in Florida last week on suspicion of unlawfully picking thousands of pounds of palmetto berries, leading one local sheriff to blast Washington, D.C., lawmakers over their “complete and total failure” to keep the U.S. border secure.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey announced in a video on Monday that eight suspects, four of whom are illegal immigrants, were arrested in connection to stealing about $7,300 worth of palmetto berries from a private property and loading the 9,000-pound harvest into the back of a U-Haul.

Ivey said that while this specific case “may not seem like a big deal to some, it is actually what this case revealed about the subjects who were arrested and the fact that they are in our country illegally that drives me absolutely insane and will most likely tick you off as well.”

Of the four illegal immigrants arrested, two were found to be applying for U.S. citizenship and cannot be deported due to pending court dates for immigration status, according to Ivey. He added that others had previously been deported and had prior felony arrests.

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Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said that those arrested were loading 9,000 pounds of stolen palmetto berries into a U-Haul truck. The stolen berries were estimated to be worth about $7,300. (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office)

“The best part for me is that when we ask why this person can’t be deported or why is this person still in our country after committing multiple crimes,” Ivey said, “we’re told that unless they commit a violent felony, they’re not going to be deported no matter how many nonviolent crimes they’ve committed.”

subjects arrested

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said that four of the eight people arrested were in the U.S. illegally, adding that some had been previously deported. (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office)

Ivey said that during multiple trips to the U.S. southern border, he has witnessed firsthand the surging influx of illegal immigrants and its subsequent impact on communities across the country.

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“Please understand, this is not a failure on our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Border Patrol or even Department of Homeland Security,” Ivey said. “This is a complete and total failure on Washington, D.C., for not allowing the laws of our great nation to be enforced.”

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Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey called on Washington, D.C., to secure the border or to “get the hell out of the way” so that he and other sheriffs from across the country can do it themselves by enforcing laws. (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office)

Ivey asked when “we as a nation” are going to lose tolerance for people illegally entering the U.S. to “commit more crimes?”

“Why don’t you allow our Customs and Border Patrol agents to secure our damn border like our laws allow,” Ivey directed at Washintgton, D.C., officials, “or get the hell out of the way and I’ll do it with the help of sheriffs from across the country who actually believe in enforcing the law and are sick and tired of this crap.”

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