Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is backing off of his initial comments about supporting a federal abortion ban.
In an interview with an NBC News reporter in Iowa, the Democratic presidential candidate said he would support a national ban on abortion after three months of pregnancy.
"Once a child is viable outside the womb, I think the state has an interest in protecting that child," Kennedy said.
The Democrat, who is a vaccine skeptic, went on to say he is for "medical freedom."
When pressed on why that doesn't include abortion, Kennedy doubled down on his belief that the state has an interest in the life of a child after a certain point.
Later, Kennedy's campaign attempted to walk the comments back.
In a statement obtained by CNN, the campaign said Kennedy didn't fully understand the question, blaming a "noisy exhibit hall at the Iowa State Fair."
"Mr. Kennedy’s position on abortion is that it is always the woman's right to choose. He does not support legislation banning abortion," the statement says.
Kennedy is considered a longshot to beat President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.
Biden has campaigned on his work to expand a woman's right to choose after the Supreme Court struck down the Roe vs. Wade decision.
According to a Gallup poll, 61% of Americans thought it was a "bad thing" for the Supreme Court to overturn the constitutional right to have an abortion.
