Over the past several months, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has made a striking shift in his stance on abortion policy: First pro-life policies were removed from the Republican platform, and now he no longer supports a nationwide abortion ban, which was long seen as the next goal for the pro-life movement after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
During his presidency, Trump said that if a nationwide abortion ban ever crossed his desk, he would sign it without hesitation. (It never did). However, as of this weekend, both Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, have reversed their positions, stating that Trump would not sign such a ban into law.
The reversal has left many pro-life advocates frustrated with Trump. Lila Rose, founder of the anti-abortion group Live Action criticized Trump on her podcast for trying to “ingratiate himself with those that are pro-abortion.”
“News flash to the Trump campaign: You’re not going to win over the left, who already hates you,” she said. “Now is not the time to try and sound like Kamala Harris.”
On Friday, Trump posted on Truth Social that his “administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.” This statement marked a significant departure from his earlier commitments to the pro-life movement. The shift became even more apparent on Sunday when Vance, during an interview on Meet the Press, confirmed that Trump would use his veto power to block an abortion ban if it ever reached his desk as President.
“I think he would,” Vance told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker. “He said explicitly that he would.”
This reversal is a major blow to the pro-life movement, which has spent years advocating for a nationwide ban on abortion. Pro-life leaders once saw Trump as a key ally, particularly after he played a major role in the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Now, with Trump’s team leaning towards a pro-choice stance and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris running on a pro-choice platform, pro-life voters are left in a difficult position, wondering who, if anyone, will champion their cause.
“God have mercy on this nation if this is now the position of what was the Pro-Life Party,” wrote Family Research Council president Tony Perkins in a response to Vance’s comments.
“The cause is way bigger and younger than Donald Trump,” wrote Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “It will shape the GOP beyond this Trump moment. Nothing will deter this movement because it is about saving lives and truly serving women.”
In response to Vance’s comments, Rose tweeted, “Due to their increasingly pro-abortion position, Trump/Vance is stretching the lesser of two evils voting strategy to an untenable position. Without some indication that they will work to make our nation a safer place for preborn children, they are making it impossible for pro-life voters to support them. Being less passionate about killing babies than Harris/Walz is not enough.”
The shifting policies have left many Christians confused on how and who to vote for in November.
