Melania Trump, in her first public reaction to the news, doubled down on her passionate support for abortion rights, a position that stands in stark contrast to that of her husband and the Republican Party he leads.

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I protect,” the former first lady said in a video released Thursday. “There is no doubt that there is no room for compromise when it comes to this fundamental right that all women have from birth. Individual freedom. What does “My Body, My Choice” really mean?”

Set to classical music and posted on social media, Trump's words were a paraphrase of her upcoming memoir “Melania,” which the Guardian revealed on Wednesday.

On the page, Trump says: “It is imperative to ensure that women have autonomy in deciding whether to have children based on their own beliefs, free from any government intervention or pressure.”

“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to decide what she does with her own body? A woman's fundamental right to individual freedom and her own life gives her the power to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.

“Restricting a woman’s right to decide whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body. I have carried this belief with me throughout my adult life.”

News of the stance raised eyebrows just over a month before Election Day in a campaign marked by attacks on abortion rights by Donald Trump, the Republican Party and their donors and supporters.

In June 2022, in the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson, three Trump-appointed hardline justices voted to strike down federal abortion rights, marking a successful end to a 50-year crusade by religious conservatives. Draconian government bans followed – as did reports of women dying after being denied abortions.

Trump claimed credit but also sought to mitigate the electoral damage as the clear majority supported abortion rights, which has led to a series of Democratic victories since the Dobbs decision.

A spokesman for the Republican candidate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sarafina Chitika, a spokeswoman for Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, told the Guardian: “Unfortunately for women across America, Ms. Trump’s husband strongly disagrees and is the reason more than one in three American women are under a Trump abortion ban lives.” threatens their health, their freedom and their lives.

“Donald Trump has made it clear: If he wins in November, he will ban abortions nationwide, penalize women and restrict women’s access to reproductive health care.”