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Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Former president Donald Trump favors a national ban on abortions after 16 weeks, the New York Times has reported, citing two sources with direct knowledge of the situation. The Times' report, published Friday, quotes Trump saying he "likes" the 16-week ban, but also supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.
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It goes on to say Trump has privately been dismissive of any potential Republican vice presidential candidates that are not in favor of "the three exceptions," adding the party will continue to lose ground otherwise.
The former president has previously blamed hardline Republicans and their abortion stances for legislative losses at the ballot box.
Trump has not declared the position publicly with pundits suggesting he is waiting until he officially secures the Republican nomination for the 2024 election so as not to drive a wedge between himself and social conservatives, according to the Times' sources.
The 77-year-old has consistently said he favored states' rights on the abortion issue.
During Trump's presidency, the conservative-majority of the Supreme Court voted to overturn the 1973 opinion in Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.
The 6-3 decision eliminated the federally-protected right to abortion procedures, leaving lawmaking to individual states.
Trump appointed three of the Supreme Court justices that helped make that decision. However, the former president has never publicly declared a desire for a national abortion ban, which would restrict the procedure in the 30 states where it remains legal.
The Times story describes Trump's approach to the abortion issues as "transactional," being used as a means to get back to the White House.
Trump has managed to avoid declaring a strong position on the issue thus far, continually relating any discussion back to the rights of individual states.
His campaign did not offer a clear answer Saturday.
"As President Trump has stated, he would sit down with both sides and negotiate a deal that everyone will be happy with," Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to the Washington Post.
The report triggered a quick response from President Joe Biden.
"After being the one responsible for taking away women's freedom, after being the one to put women's lives in danger, after being the one who has unleashed all this cruelty and chaos all across America, Trump is running scared, everyone sees through Trump," he said in a statement issued to media outlets.
"We all know Trump promised to overturn Roe v. Wade to get elected in 2016," it said. 'Does anyone doubt Trump has already cut a deal in private to ban abortion nationwide to get elected in 2024?"
Abortion rights groups also seized on the story.
"Trump wants to make abortion illegal in all 50 states with unthinkable consequences for all Americans," Reproductive Freedom for All President Mini Timmaraju told reporters Saturday.
"And he's trying to masquerade as a moderate, letting his Republican allies take loss after loss on abortion and hoping that voters are going to forget that he was the architect fully responsible for overturning Roe."
