Washington DC - Donald Trump on Wednesday said Arizona went too far with its abortion ban based on a 19th-century law but he defended his role in ending nationwide abortion rights, in his latest balancing act on a critical election issue.

The Republican candidate's remarks in Atlanta, Georgia came two days after he confounded some conservatives by releasing a message on the hot-button subject in which he made no mention of a national abortion ban.

Trump has emitted mixed signals for months, frustrating core supporters who oppose abortion as he seeks to avoid backing the more sweeping bans that have been rejected by voters at the ballot box.

In his video message Monday he said abortion rights should be left up to the states.

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But on Wednesday, when asked by a reporter whether he believed Arizona went "too far" in upholding a near-total ban on abortion, Trump agreed.

"Yeah they did, and that will be straightened out," he said, adding, "I'm sure that the [Democratic] governor and everybody else are going to bring it back into reason, and that will be taken care of I think very quickly."

Trump, who during his presidency appointed three conservative justices to the US Supreme Court, sought to take credit for its "incredible" 2022 ruling that ended nearly half a century of nationwide abortion rights protections.

"We did that, and now the states have it, and the states are putting out what they want," the 77-year-old said in Atlanta. "It's the will of the people."

Conservatives have been left baffled and furious by Trump's policy flip-flop, however.

His former vice president Mike Pence, an evangelical Christian, called the positioning "a slap in the face" to pro-life Americans who backed Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Since the Supreme Court returned abortion issues to individual states, some Republican-led states have enacted near-total bans, and there is a powerful movement in the party pushing for a national ban.

"We are deeply disappointed in President Trump's position," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony group.