Despite already securing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump is reaching out to pro-life voters as a steadfast advocate for the unborn — in contrast to Hillary Clinton’s “extremism” on the abortion issue.
Friday, the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) released a letter of outreach penned by the Republican nominee detailing his commitments to their cause.
In the letter, dated simply September 2016, Trump outlined the pro-life policy goals he says he would advance should be elected president, writing that he is “committed” to:
- Nominating pro-life justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Signing into law the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would end painful late-term abortions nationwide.
- Defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they continue to perform abortions and reallocating their funding to community health centers that provide comprehensive health care for women.
- Making the Hyde Amendment permanent law to protect taxpayers from having to pay for abortions.
The Hyde Amendment is a provision that prohibits taxpayer money from being used to fund abortions.
In stressing his pursuits of pro-life ends, Trump argued that his commitment to the pro-life cause “stands in stark contrast” to Hillary Clinton’s abortion-on-demand “extremism.”
“Hillary Clinton not only supports abortion on-demand for any reason, but she’d take it a step further: she wants to force the taxpayers to pay for abortions by repealing the bi-partisan Hyde Amendment,” Trump’s letter reads. “Hillary Clinton also supports abortion until an hour before birth. And she will only appoint Supreme Court justices who share this view.”
In addition to releasing Trump’s letter, SBA List also announced that the candidate has tapped SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser to serve as National Chairwoman of the Trump campaign’s Pro-life Coalition.
“Not only has Mr. Trump doubled down on his three existing commitments to the pro-life movement, he has gone a step further in pledging to protect the Hyde Amendment and the conscience rights of millions of pro-life taxpayers,” Dannenfelser said Friday. “For a candidate to make additional commitments during a general election is almost unheard of.”
The pro-life community, and SBA List in particular, has been skeptical and even critical of Trump in the past, voicing concern that the candidate could not be trusted on the issue. Such foreboding appears to be in the past, however, as the general election nears and pro-lifers are faced with the prospect of either Trump or Clinton.
“The contrast could not be clearer between the two tickets, and I am proud to serve as National Chairwoman for Donald Trump’s Pro-Life Coalition,” Dannenfelser added.