Donald Trump said Sunday, “Planned Parenthood does some very good work, but I would defund [it] as long as they’re doing abortions.”
Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with Chuck Todd, Trump said, “Planned Parenthood does a lot, a really good job in a lot of different areas, but not on abortion.”
“You defended the other work Planned Parenthood does and now you said you would defund it.” Todd began.
Interjecting, Trump said, “That’s right. I do. That’s right. I would.”
Todd, then told Trump the the Democrats’ argument that the money the government gives to Planned Parenthood “does not go to abortions… The money they give to Planned Parenthood only goes to other women’s health issues, including mammograms and things like that.” (RELATED: Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards: Well, OK, No, We Don’t Perform Mammograms)
“If you knew the government money were only going to that, would you support funding Planned Parenthood,” Todd asked.
“Yeah, if it didn’t have to do with abortions,” Trump said. “Look, I understand and I have many, many friends who are women who understand Planned Parenthood better than you or I will ever understand it, and they do some very good work: cervical cancer, lots of women’s issues, women’s health issues are taken care of.”
Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country performed 327,653 abortion procedures in 2013, according to its most recent annual report. That report shows that Planned Parenthood took more $528 million in federal money, 41 percent of its revenue.
“I know one of the candidates — I won’t mention their name said we’re not going to spend that kind of money on women’s health issues. I am. Planned Parenthood does a really good job in a lot of different areas but not on abortion,” Trump argued.
“So I’m not going to fund it if it’s doing the abortion. I am not going to fund it. Now, they say it’s 3 percent and it’s 4 percent, some people say it’s 60 percent. I don’t believe it’s 60 percent by the way, but I think it’s probably a much lower number. But Planned Parenthood does some very good work, but I would defund as long as they’re doing abortions,” Trump said.