During a townhall event today with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Donald Trump said “there has to be some form of punishment” for women who obtain abortions. Trump quickly reversed himself after pro-life advocates pointed out that they have long opposed imposing criminal penalties on a woman who undergoes an abortion, rather than the abortionist who performs it.

“[T]he doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman,” Trump said in a press release a few hours after he said the woman “has to be” punished. “The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb,” Trump continued. “My position has not changed – like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions.”