Trump Abandons Pro-lifers; They May Abandon Him
He’s hinted previously at the political peril of abortion bans, calling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ six-week ban “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.” He’s said “Other than certain parts of the country…you’re not going to win on this issue.”
But in formalizing his abandonment of a staunchly pro-life position, he’s essentially telling a loyal constituency to get over it and focus on other things — namely, “the Horrible Border, Inflation, Bad Economy and the Death & Destruction of our Country!”
They aren’t taking it lightly.
Lila Rose, a pro-life activist, released her own statement:
“In 2016, President Trump won on the back of vigorous pro-life support, and that support was vindicated with the appointment of the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. But that support will not materialize in 2024 if President Trump holds to this anti-human and cowardly position.”
That echoes what other pro-life conservatives have warned if Trump went down this road.
In his newsletter, The Transom, pro-life conservative Ben Domenech wrote last year of Trump’s moderate abortion stance, “The pro-life movement maximized the outcome of the Trump presidency in its first go-round. But this time around, he’s signaling that he’s given up on them — he assumes their loyalty for his past decisions, regardless of what he does next.”
And pro-life conservative Chris Bedford also wrote that Trump’s comments reflect a “naivete for just how many Christians will stay home if they don’t see a candidate worth voting for.”
Trump is betting that when it comes down to him or President Biden, pro-life voters will back him. It’s a big gamble, considering they are promising they won’t, and are one of the very few constituencies in his exceedingly loyal base to ever publicly condemn him.
He’s right, of course, that abortion bans are politically unpopular. He’s right to be concerned that the right’s extremism on this issue is very good for Biden. But he’s turning on a group that very much believes it is responsible for getting him elected in the first place.
“You must follow your heart, or in many cases, your religion or your faith,” he said in this new announcement. “Do what’s right for your family and do what’s right for yourself.”
Come November, many in the pro-life movement may do just that — and stay home.
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(S.E. Cupp is the host of "S.E. Cupp Unfiltered" on CNN.)
©2024 S.E. Cupp. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
