Major Pro-Life Organization Calls Out Trump over Refusal to Endorse Federal Abortion Limit
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The influential conservative group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called out former President Trump on Thursday for not endorsing federal limits on abortion as a candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.
“Life is a matter of human rights, not states’ rights. Saying that the issue should only be decided at the states is an endorsement of abortion up until the moment of birth,” the group’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a statement.
“We will oppose any presidential candidate who refuses to embrace at a minimum a 15-week national standard to stop painful late-term abortions while allowing states to enact further protections,” she added.
When Trump’s advisers have floated the issue of abortion, the former president has said they should not talk about it, the Washington Post reported. The paper asked the Trump campaign if the former president supported the six-week ban enacted in Florida, but it did not receive a direct answer. Instead, Steven Cheung, a campaign spokesman, said in a statement: “Trump believes that the Supreme Court, led by the three justices which he supported, got it right when they ruled this is an issue that should be decided at the state level.”
The Trump campaign has cast the former president’s appointment of three justices who would later overturn Roe v. Wade as a major victory for his presidency.
“Republicans have been trying to get this done for 50 years, but were unable to do so,” explained the Trump spokesman. “President Trump, who is considered the most pro-life President in history, got it done.”
“He will continue these policies when reelected to the White House. Like President Reagan before him, President Trump supports exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother,” the spokesman added.
Pro-life groups and individuals were frustrated with the former president for not mentioning abortion in his speech announcing his candidacy for president in November of last year.
“His silence spoke very loudly to the pro-life movement,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of the pro-life group Students for Life to the Post. “We were pretty disappointed.”
A number of other presidential candidates, either announced or anticipated, have been reluctant to take a hard-line on abortion. Senator Tim Scott (R., Sc.) recently avoided the question of whether he supports 15-week ban. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley said “let’s let the states work this out,” as quoted in the Des Moines Register.
On the other hand, former vice president Mike Pence commended Florida governor Ron DeSantis for signing the six-week heartbeat bill into law.
“I want to commend Florida and their governor for moving the heartbeat bill,” said Pence. “I’m pro-life; I don’t apologize for it.”
