Houston ? Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani forcefully reaffirmed his support for abortion rights Friday and argued that his divergence from conservatives on the issue should not disqualify him from being the eventual GOP nominee.

“This is a matter of deep and profound judgment,” he said in a speech at Houston Baptist University. “It’s a matter of morals. It’s a matter of your interpretation of how laws should operate, your interpretation of how respect for the rights of others should operate. But in a country like ours : I believe you have to respect their viewpoint and give them a level of choice. I would grant women the right to make that choice.”

The former New York City mayor has struggled recently to explain his personal opposition to abortion with his long public record of favoring a woman’s right to choose. He has defended his positions on late-term abortion, public funding for abortions and the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion.

But Giuliani left few questions about his position Friday, saying that – despite his belief that abortion was “morally wrong” – he thinks the decision should be left to individuals and their decisions should be respected.