Judge Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, is also deeply religious and has written a book on the value of human life – suggesting he too is opposed to abortion rights.

Republican politicians in the US Congress, meanwhile, have said that they will push for legislation to strip all federal funding from Planned Parenthood.

However, Trump’s daughter and informal adviser Ivanka is reported to have asked him to think carefully about stripping Planned Parenthood of funding.

In a statement to the New York Times, Trump says that while he is “pro-life”, he is also “deeply committed to investing in women’s health”.

He adds that he plans to “significantly increase federal funding in support of non-abortion services such as cancer screenings”, arguing that “there is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of women’s health, while not providing abortion services.”

Donald Trump says he’ll fund Planned Parenthood – on one condition