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Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that women who seek abortions should be subject to “some form of punishment” if the procedure is banned in the United States, further elevating Republican concerns that his explosive remarks about women could doom the party in the fall. The comment, which Mr. Trump later recanted, attracted instant, bipartisan criticism — the latest in a series of high-profile episodes that have shined a light on Mr. Trump’s feeble approval ratings among women nationally. (Flegenheimer and Haberman, 3/30)

Donald Trump is fighting to convince a skeptical Republican Party he can improve his standing among women, even as he takes back an explosive comment about abortion and attacks the credibility of a female reporter police say was illegally grabbed by the GOP front-runner's campaign manager. It took Trump's campaign just hours to backtrack on Wednesday after he said that should abortion become illegal, women who undergo the procedure should face "some sort of punishment." The plan sparked an immediate backlash from both sides of the debate, prompting Trump to release two statements clarifying his position. His second statement said only those who perform abortions would be "held legally responsible, not the woman." "The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb," Trump said. (3/31)

Mr. Trump also said the men who impregnate women who get abortions shouldn’t be punished: “Is he responsible under the law for these abortions? Or is he not responsible for an abortion decision?” Mr. Matthews asked about what Mr. Trump believed such a law should cover. “Different feelings. Different people. I would say no,” Mr. Trump replied. His comments were part of a MSNBC program scheduled for broadcast later Wednesday. (Ballhaus and Reinhard, 3/30)

Trump has won support from Republican voters for selling himself as a Washington outsider. But the New York real estate tycoon, who once supported abortion access, has come under pressure from conservatives to prove he is truly one of them. At the same time, he has drawn criticism for comments that offended women and minority groups. "Of course, women shouldn't be punished," rival Republican candidate John Kasich said on Wednesday, saying he opposed abortion except in specific cases such as rape. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the third candidate for the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election, said Trump had not thought through the issue. "What's far too often neglected is that being pro-life is not simply about the unborn child, it's also about the mother," he said in a statement. (Stephenson, 3/30)

“Mr. Trump’s comment today is completely out of touch with the pro-life movement and even more with women who have chosen such a sad thing as abortion,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. “No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion. This is against the very nature of what we are about. We invite a woman who has gone down this route to consider paths to healing, not punishment.'' Ken Blackwell, senior fellow at the Family Research Council, said Trump's comments underscored the candidate's "lack of any in-depth of involvement with the pro-life movement.'' (Hafner and Johnson, 3/30)

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, who is poised to become the first female presidential nominee of a major party, responded immediately via social media. “Just when you thought it couldn't get worse. Horrific and telling,” Clinton wrote on Twitter. Women’s groups were quick to weigh in as well, including Planned Parenthood Action and Emily’s List, both of which called Trump "dangerous" and blasted his comments. (DelReal, 3/30)

The anti-abortion movement in recent decades has tried to avoid the perception that it is “punishing” women for having abortions. Instead, it has focused on penalties for the physicians who provide them, such as imposing medical or legal restrictions on their practice. In some rare situations, women have faced charges associated with abortions they have attempted on their own. (McCaskill and Haberkorn, 3/30)

Ahead of the April 5 Wisconsin primary, Trump is facing more questions about his policy views on gender and women’s issues — particularly, his views on abortion. Trump often compares his self-described evolution from being a Democrat to Republican to Ronald Reagan, who was once a Democrat before becoming the Republican icon. And now, he suggests that his evolution from supporting abortion rights to vocally opposing it is like Reagan’s, who once passed a law in favor of women’s access to abortion. Reagan did sign a law in 1967 that liberalized abortions — six years before the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. But this was long before abortion was a national social policy matter, before there were such terms like “pro-choice” and “pro-life.” (Lee, 3/31)