Is Trump changing his hardline stance on abortion for votes?

Donald Trump never misses a chance to remind voters that he was the one to appoint three justices to the US Supreme Court who voted to ditch the federal right to an abortion.

But ask the 77-year-old what he thinks personally about abortion, and his position starts to shift, the self-declared "most pro-life president in American history" well aware of what a hardline stance might cost him at the polls.

Trump was evasive when asked repeatedly this month about introducing nationwide bans or limits on abortion -- as some of his Republican challengers have proposed.

"It could be state or it could be federal, I don't frankly care," the former president and current Republican front-runner said.

A few days later, he firmed up his position, saying he believed in exceptions for abortion bans including in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life was in danger.

After all, he said, "without exceptions, it is very difficult to win elections."