When asked at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, earlier Tuesday if he supports Florida's six-week abortion ban, which will take effect in May following a state supreme court ruling on Monday, former President Donald Trump replied, "We'll make a statement next week on abortion."

In an exclusive interview with Spectrum News later that day, Trump said that he does not "think people would be overly surprised" by what comes out of that expected announcement.

Ahead of his rally in Green Bay on Tuesday evening, the ex-president and presumptive Republican nominee told Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin's Anthony DaBruzzi that the forthcoming statement is "not a change in position" on abortion – a key issue that Democrats, particularly the reelection campaign of President Joe Biden, are seizing on ahead of November's election.

"Not a change in position," Trump said. "It's going to be something that is very important. You know, you have to go with your heart, you have to go with your spirit, and it's going to be something that I don't think people would be overly surprised. But we also have to remember, we have to win elections, it's very important, you have to win elections. Otherwise, you go back to where you were. And I believe that the statement next week will be a very good one."

Democrats have sought to paint Trump as the reason behind the 2022 reversing of Roe v. Wade, the ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The Republican appointed three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the landmark 1973 decision, allowing states to enact restrictions and bans on abortion around the country. 

Trump has previously suggested that he would support a national ban on abortions after about 15 weeks of pregnancy. Last year, the ex-president called the six-week ban in Florida, championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Trump ally-turned-rival for the Republican nomination, “a terrible mistake.” 

Democrats are continuing to make the issue a key focus for their 2024 campaign after a surprisingly strong midterm showing in 2022 and victories in several special elections nationwide since Roe was overturned. Support for abortion access has risen to record highs in recent polling in the aftermath of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health ruling that overturned Roe. Earlier Tuesday, Biden's campaign said that the Florida Supreme Court's ruling, which allowed a ballot question on abortion access, puts the deep red state in play in November's election.

"That's an issue that we should win," Trump told Spectrum News on Tuesday. "The Roe v. Wade issue is an issue that we should win. It was sent back to the states. The states are going to really dominate, and I think that's what you're seeing. But I'm going to make a statement on that next week, and it'll be a very concise statement."

Trump's visit to the Badger State, a must-win battleground for both candidates in November, is his first since 2022 – while Biden has visited Wisconsin 10 times as president, including three times this year alone. He sought to emphasize the importance of the state.

"I think it's very important," Trump said. "It's a great state. I did well here twice. As you know, I did very well in the primaries, and I did well in the elections and won handily the first time, and I think I did much better the second time."

While technically true – Trump won over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016 with over 1.4 million votes, and garnered more than 1.6 million in 2020 – he ultimately lost the state to Biden by 20,000 votes during the last presidential election. (At his Green Bay rally later Tuesday, Trump falsely claimed to have won Wisconsin "by a lot.")

Trump predicted that he's "going to do very well" in Wisconsin in November, but when asked about how he can win back the trust of suburban women – a key constituency that was key to Biden's win four years ago – the former president said he believes "what they really want is safety."

"They want security, and they get that with me on the border with law enforcement," Trump told Spectrum News, before referencing his Grand Rapids, Mich., rally earlier in the day, where he was flanked on stage by uniform-wearing members of law enforcement. 

"Women want safety ... I guess you could say the suburban women, but women in the suburbs, they want safety, they want security, and they get that with me," Trump claimed. "They don't get anything with Biden, all they get with Biden is nothing."

Trump hammered Biden over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border at his Michigan rally earlier Tuesday, attempting to accuse his Democratic rival of allowing a “bloodbath” of violence by immigrants that is “destroying the country.”

The ex-president also echoed previous campaign promises on the economy, notably using the phrase "drill, baby, drill" to talk about unleashing American energy in an effort to drive down inflation, despite U.S. oil production hitting a record high under Biden – and public safety, pledging to "seal the border."

He also teased his potential running mate pick.

"We have a great list of people potential people," Trump said. "They all want to do it – that I can tell you, they all want it. And we'll announce that probably sometime around [July's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee], maybe a little before."

Spectrum News' Maddie Gannon and Joseph Konig contributed to this report.