WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Melania Trump has voiced strong support for abortion rights in her upcoming memoir, taking a stance that sharply contrasts with husband Donald Trump on a divisive US election issue.

Vice-President Kamala Harris’s campaign reacted quickly Thursday to Melania’s unexpected intervention before the November 5 vote.

According to book extracts, Melania wrote that it is “imperative to guarantee that women have autonomy in deciding their preference of having children, based on their own convictions, free from any intervention or pressure from the Government”.

The former first lady’s opinion diverges from Trump, who often brags that his Supreme Court justice picks paved the way for the end of the national right to abortion in the United States.

Since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling, at least 20 US States have brought in full or partial restrictions, with Georgia banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion is a major issue for voters, and the Harris campaign jumped on the apparent disconnect.

“Sadly for the women across America, Mrs Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives,” Harris campaign spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said.

“Donald Trump has made it abundantly clear: If he wins in November, he will ban abortion nationwide, punish women and restrict women’s access to reproductive health care.”

According to The Guardian, which said it had accessed a copy of the memoir ahead of its publication next week, Melania wrote, “Restricting a woman’s right to choose whether to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is the same as denying her control over her own body.”

Melania, who has barely been seen on the campaign trail as her husband seeks a sensational White House comeback, also posted a slick black-and-white video on social media, though she didn’t mention abortion directly.

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth,” she said, backed by the strains of sweeping classical music.