Leading pro-life organizations are expressing concern about former President Donald Trump’s recent statements about his position on abortion. He called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six-week ban “a terrible thing” and abandoned a push for federal-level restrictions.
“Are pro-lifers going to allow themselves to be a cheap date?” said Patrick Brown, a fellow with the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center’s Life and Family Initiative. “Are they going to sit back and take it when candidates are denigrating the cause they dedicated their life to?”
The dust-up between Trump and the pro-life community comes as new polling from the Washington Post shows the former president is leading President Joe Biden by 10 points if the election were held today.
With Trump as the likely GOP nominee, some are saying pressure needs to be exerted concerning his abortion views.
READ: Trump blames midterm losses on pro-life community
Kristi Hamrick, chief policy strategist for Students for Life of America, made a similar statement “He won’t feel pressure until it’s applied, and we’re willing to apply it. You cannot ignore the human rights issue of our time and still get our vote.”
Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, called Trump’s move “pathetic and unacceptable,” saying the former president was “actively attacking the very pro-life laws made possible by Roe’s overturning. Heartbeat laws have saved thousands of babies. But Trump wants to compromise on babies’ lives so pro-abort Dems like him. Trump should not be the GOP nominee.”
Trump’s Republican presidential primary contenders have capitalized on his reversal, with DeSantis warning pro-life voters that Trump is preparing to “sell you out.”
“Anytime he did a deal with Democrats, whether it was on budget, whether it was on the criminal justice First Step Act, they ended up taking him to the cleaners and so, I think if he’s going into this thing, he’s gonna make the Democrats happy with respect to the right to life. I think all pro-lifers should know that he’s preparing to sell you out.”
“Protecting babies with heartbeats is not terrible. Donald Trump may think it’s terrible. I think protecting babies with heartbeats is noble and just, and I’m proud to have signed the heartbeat bill in Florida, and I know Iowa has similar legislation.”
–Alana Goforth | Metro Voice