UPDATE: Oops. Donald Trump is rewinding the tape and now saying would punish abortion providers and not the women patients. His campaign posted this on its website: "If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed - like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions."
PREVIOUS REPORTING:
Donald Trump thinks women who have abortions should face "some form of punishment," a comment that triggered immediate outrage from the Democratic presidential candidates and disagreement from Republicans.
Trump was being questioned by MSNBC host Chris Matthews during the taping of a town hall forum to be aired later on the news channel.
After he said abortions should be outlawed, Matthews asked Trump if women who still sought abortions should be punished.
"There has to be some form of punishment," Trump said. "For the woman?" Matthews asked. "Yeah," Trump replied.
GOP presidential contender John Kasich disagreed with the idea of punishment when asked to react to Trump's statement.
.@JohnKasich reacts to Trump's abortion comments: "Of course, women shouldn't be punished" for having an abortion https://t.co/bLyaNPVGoE
-- MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 30, 2016
Ted Cruz said it is doctors who perform abortions who should be punished, not women.
We shouldn't be talking about punishing women; we should affirm their dignity and gift to bring life into the world https://t.co/OwWR96YTF0
-- Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) March 30, 2016
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders also quickly tweeted their shock at Trump's idea.
Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. Horrific and telling. -H https://t.co/Qi8TutsOw9
-- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 30, 2016
Your Republican frontrunner, ladies and gentlemen. Shameful. https://t.co/y49Z8YfRgV
-- Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 30, 2016
