Trump considers federal abortion ban a vote-loser and is unlikely to support one

Allies say Trump believes states should rule on reproductive rights and that support for federal ban could cost him 2024 election

Donald Trump considers a federal abortion ban a losing proposal for Republicans as the party prepares to enter the first presidential election since the supreme court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade - and is unlikely to support such a policy, according to people close to him.

The former president has told allies in recent days that his gut feeling remains leaving the matter of reproductive rights to the states - following the court's reasoning in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization that ended 50 years of federal abortion protections.