Trump's Slam Against Pro-Life State Legislation Upsets Conservatives

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Former President Donald J. Trump has shaken the conservative world with his Meet the Press interview, particularly on the subject of abortion. When Kristen Welker asked Trump if he would support a 15-week ban on a national level, he wouldn’t commit to a particular limit but promised he’d settle the issue. “I would sit down with both sides, and I’d negotiate something, and we’ll end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years. I’m not going to say I would or I wouldn’t. I mean, DeSanctis is willing to sign a five-week and six-week ban.”

Then, Welker asked Trump if six weeks goes too far.

“I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.”

As Ben Shapiro from the Daily Wire said, Trump’s take is “morally egregious” and “not a pro-life position by any stretch of the imagination.”

Some of his defenders are pointing out the obvious: the country isn’t ready for a 6-week ban and pushing one could have catastrophic electoral consequences. Many in the pro-life community accept this. That’s why incrementalism is the approach. If all you can pass is a 15-week ban, pass it. If you can pass an earlier ban, that’s great. But the goal is to protect life, so if Trump throws out a number and expects the pro-life community to suddenly put the fight to bed, he doesn’t understand the movement, the ethics, or the principles at all.

Frankly, the pro-choice/pro-abortion community won’t be satisfied with those options either. There are only two intellectually consistent positions on this matter: life should be protected when it begins or the mother has sole authority because her child is in her body, which means abortion should be available up until the moment of birth.

There’s a reason why Vice President Kamala Harris won’t vocally support any limitations. She and President Joe Biden continuously keep uplifting Roe v. Wade, hoping the American people are unaware of the fact that it allows abortion up until the moment of birth. California Governor Gavin Newsom also recently refused to list any specific weeks. Other Democrats like Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) openly do not support any restrictions.

The Democrats are radical in this position. Trump failed to mention Democrats voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the House, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said it was “extreme.” Mandating care for infants who survive abortion is extreme? Most people would simply say it’s humane.

So, not only did Trump reveal himself to have a fundamental misunderstanding of the pro-life movement; he showed himself to be naïve as well.

Some of Trump’s apologists have pointed out that the purpose of overturning Roe v. Wade was for abortion to be kicked back to the states and to honor the Tenth Amendment. But Trump didn’t criticize a national 6-week ban. He said what DeSantis did was “terrible,” so Trump is criticizing pro-life legislation passed in a red state.

If states like Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida are shamed by the Republican frontrunner, it undermines their ability to make their case and advance the movement of preserving life.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said, “It’s never a ‘terrible thing’ to protect innocent life. I’m proud of the fetal heartbeat bill the Iowa legislature passed and I signed in 2018 and again earlier this year.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also replied to Trump’s comments. “There’s nothing ‘terrible’ about standing up for life.”

Radio host Dan Bongino said, “I can’t reconcile that with faith, with morality—I can’t. I can’t reconcile that at all. I’m sorry. And I won’t.” He went on to say, “Politics is a projection of power, and if we can’t defend human life at all stages, then there’s no point to any of this exercise. I’m not gonna sacrifice children’s lives for anyone.”

Bongino acknowledges what I know; Donald Trump isn’t a traditional conservative. He’s looking to do what he did in the past with the pro-life community, evangelicals, etc. He wants to make a deal. Bongino described him as “transactional.”

The pro-life and evangelical community has to ask if they want to put the fate of their movement in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand the ethics, who wants to make a deal, who desires for Democrats and the media to like him and sees the pro-life community as an electoral liability. Some of his defenders think it’s a positive that Trump is willing to come to the table with the Democrats, but his desire to make a deal could easily lead him to make a terrible compromise. After all, the 6-week Florida ban that he called “terrible” has exceptions for rape, incest, life of the mother, bodily injury, and fetal abnormality. If he thinks that’s “terrible,” what would be a good deal?

Donald Trump certainly expects an undying oath from the pro-life community. “I was able to do something that nobody thought was possible, end Roe v. Wade. For 52 years, people talked, spent vast amounts of money, but couldn’t get the job done. I got the job done!”

But the pro-life community did think it was possible. That’s why we marched, protested outside of clinics, preached against it from our pulpits, made content, made activist organizations, pregnancy crisis centers, etc. That’s why we worked to pass state legislation that faced legal challenges that could move up to the Supreme Court. And Trump’s SCOTUS picks were not of his own doing. If not for Senator Mitch McConnell holding the line and refusing to allow Merrick Garland to proceed through the confirmation hearing, he’d be on the court. That was a tremendous electoral gamble in 2016. I am very grateful Trump picked three names from a list the Federalist Society gave him but picking good conservative justices should be the bare minimum expectation of any Republican president. He did what Ted Cruz would have done. Trump wants to be adored for not playing for an entire season, coming in at the final seconds, and scoring the winning point. I’m so very grateful he made the shot after we passed him the ball, but now he’s trashing his team to the media.

Trump also criticized the pro-life community after the midterms, blaming election losses on candidates who didn’t share his opinion on exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. However, he failed to mention he endorsed candidates such as Tudor Dixon in Michigan over Kevin Rinke. The voters were bombarded with nonstop commercials of “no exceptions” while the choice was to support Prop 3 or face a total abortion ban.

But more importantly, he’s been pointing the finger at pro-life policies rather than taking accountability for his candidates. Democrats financially supported MAGA candidates in the primary because they knew they’d be easier to defeat in the general election. Mehmet Oz was a carpetbagger who lost in Pennsylvania to John Fetterman. Trump also supported Hershel Walker, who was busted as a deadbeat dad who allegedly paid for at least two abortions.  

Will abortion play a bigger role in the 2024 election than January 6, Trump’s indictments, and the 2020 election? And if it will, why would Democrats and moderates reward the man who says he killed Roe v. Wade?