Pro-life leaders had mixed reactions after former President Donald Trump failed to announce his support for a federal abortion ban on Monday.
After weeks of speculation, Trump said that he supported it being left up to each state and that Americans should “do what’s right for your family and do what’s right for yourself…do what’s right for our country.” Many pro-life leaders criticized the former president for not taking a stronger stand in defense of unborn children, while others said that while they were disappointed they hoped to “educate” Trump if he won a second term in office. (RELATED: Abortion Activists Moan After Florida Supreme Court Ruling Doesn’t Bring In ‘Rage’ Donors)
“We are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s position. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry. The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a statement.
Trump argued in a statement posted on Truth Social Sunday that while he supported the fight for life, he noted that winning elections and the “salvation of our Nation” was also important to the future of the country. Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, responded to the president’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying that “there’s no ‘salvation of our Nation’ while we are permitting killing children.”
Kristin Hawkins, president of Students for Life America, however, wrote on X that while the former president needed to be educated on a federal response to abortion there is room to “work with” Trump on the issue.
We clearly have some work to do to educate President Trump in the many ways that abortion has been made federal. But with the mutual goals of supporting families and welcoming young children, I can work with this.
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) April 8, 2024
Brian Burch, president of the Catholic vote, echoed Hawkins, saying that “pro-life voters have only one option in November” in a statement.
“President Trump’s latest statement also reflects the electoral minefield created by Democrat abortion fanaticism. The fact remains that pro-life voters need to win elections to protect mothers and children,” Burch said. “Further, Democrats are now preparing a billion-dollar election-year barrage with radical abortion as its centerpiece. While Trump did not commit to any specific pro-life policies, he notably will not stand in the way of states that have acted to protect innocent children from the violent abortion industry.”
CV on Trump Abortion Statement:
The federal government cannot abandon women and children exploited by abortion. Leaving abortion policy to the states is not sufficient.
While federal legislation on abortion policy is challenging at present, we are confident that a Trump…
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) April 8, 2024
The former president had previously signaled that he may support a federal abortion ban at 15 weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions, according to The New York Times. Trump had also reportedly asked voters in March how they felt about potential vice president candidates’ positions on abortion in order to avoid a pick that is too pro-life.
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