Would YOU punish someone who sought an abortion? Trump gets ambushed, but how would you answer?

Chris Matthews ambushes Trump.

Donald Trump finds himself in the media spotlight again after saying he would punish women who sought abortions. His campaign has since clarified his position, which was spoken off the cuff during a town hall meeting televised on MSNBC.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - In Wednesday's Town Hall meeting, Chris Matthews pressed Donald Trump on his pro-life stance. Trump has had various positions on pro-life in the past, so the question was an attempt to clarify his stance for voters.

Trump appeared to struggle with the question and when the discussion turned to what he would do about women who obtained abortion against the law, eventually, backed into a corner and somewhat goaded, Trump admitted that there would "have to be some form of punishment," but he was reticent to decide what.

Chris Matthews, who explained he is Catholic and accepts the moral teaching of the Church on the issue, did not let Trump off the hook for the question.

The problem is, Trump was fast-pitched not only a question, but a scenario, one that is always complicated, and expected to respond flawlessly, which is an impossibility. There was no way Trump could have fielded the question without facing criticism and complications from people who would invariably criticize his response.

This is a challenge of running for office. There will be reporters who will ambush candidates with questions that do not have easy answers. And while Trump repeated and emphasized that he is pro-life, questions about abortion must be handled with sensitivity, and are not always fully answered off the cuff. The issue is divisive, and to merely say no to the deed which kills another human being can be unsatisfying to others, who want to understand why no is the answer.

Trump's campaign has backtracked and clarified his response with a statement:

 "If Congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal and the federal courts upheld this legislation, or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state and federal law, the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman. The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb. My position has not changed - like Ronald Reagan, I am pro-life with exceptions."

Naturally, any person who breaks the law would be subject to sanction. This is how all law works. But specifically who would be punished, and to what extent would depend on the circumstances of the crime, and there is no quick, or one-size-fits-all answer that can be given.

Unfortunately, when you are the frontrunner for president, questions like these will arise and part of your very public job interview is to see how you handle these no-win ambush situations.

How would you answer this question? Sound off in the comments below!

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