Trump asked British Prime Minister Theresa May to 'imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter' in conversation about abortion: book

• A new book from Maggie Haberman details Trump's first meeting with UK Prime Minister Theresa May.
• He reportedly brought up abortion, saying "imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter."

When former President Donald Trump first met then-Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, he struck up a graphic conversation with her about abortion.

According to an excerpt in The Washington Post of New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman's forthcoming book, "Confidence Man," the former president seemed to offer some sympathy to those who are in favor of abortion rights — though in stark, dehumanizing terms.

"Some people are pro-life, some people are pro-choice," Trump said to May, according to the book. "Imagine if some animals with tattoos raped your daughter and she got pregnant?"

However, May has no children and has openly discussed the reasons why. In a 2017 radio interview with LBC radio, the former Prime Minister provided brief insight with her and her husband, Philip May's struggles with having kids of their own.

"It's been very sad," she said. "It just turned out not to have been possible for us."

"Of course we're not the only couple who found ourselves in that situation and when you do I suppose you just get on with life," May added.

Trump also reportedly described then-Vice President Mike Pence — an evangelical Christian — as the "tough one" on abortion.

The conversation presumably took place in January 2017, when May visited the United States and became the first world leader to meet with Trump, who had just taken office.

Insider has reached out to May's office for comment.

May revealed her stance on abortion publicly for the first time in 2018. She said: "I believe that a woman should be able to access safe, legal abortion."

As president, Trump often sought to satisfy his evangelical Christian base, most of whom are strongly opposed to abortion rights. He appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett — who then voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in June of this year, ending constitutional protections for abortion.

But Trump is also known to have been more sympathetic to abortion in the past, including stating in an interview with Meet The Press in 1999 that he is "pro-choice in every respect."

And before the historic case was struck down, Trump said earlier this year that overturning the decision would be "bad for Republicans."

During the 2016 Republican presidential primary, then-rival Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas even sought to make it a campaign issue.

Trump reportedly told some of his close allies he's concerned the court's ruiling overturning Roe v. Wade could cost him politically should he run for re-election in 2024.