Former President Trump’s stance on abortion is experiencing a struggle to find a consistent position, highlighting the challenges that Republicans face in navigating the issue post-Roe v. Wade.
In recent days, Trump has evaded questions about national restrictions, blamed the GOP’s midterm losses on the anti-abortion movement, and criticized states like Florida and Georgia for their six-week abortion bans.
In an interview on “Meet the Press,” Trump expressed disapproval of Florida’s ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, calling it a “terrible thing.”
During a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump stated that GOP candidates should not take a hard-line stance on abortion, emphasizing the importance of discussing exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother to win elections.
“This issue cost us dearly in the midterms, and unnecessarily,” Trump remarked.
Nevertheless, Trump has consistently referred to himself as the most “pro-life president ever” and highlights his role in paving the way for the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
“Last year, I accomplished something that nobody believed was possible…we ended Roe v. Wade. For 52 years, people fought hard, spent enormous amounts of money, but they couldn’t get the job done. I got the job done,” Trump declared.
Trump’s fluctuating views on abortion are evident, and while this may appeal to voters in a general election, it also opens him up to criticism from both Democrats and his GOP rivals.
Responding to Trump’s comments on “Meet the Press,” Florida Governor DeSantis, Trump’s closest rival, expressed skepticism about how one can claim to be pro-life while criticizing states for enacting heartbeat laws.
DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law earlier this year and appointed state supreme court justices expected to uphold it.
“I think all pro-lifers should know that he’s preparing to sell you out,” DeSantis warned.
While many leading anti-abortion groups are treading carefully due to Trump’s substantial lead in the polls and presumptive GOP nominee status, they are also hesitant to let his comments go unchallenged, not wanting to burn any bridges.
Patrick Brown, a fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, believes that Trump’s open criticism of GOP-led states for going too far on abortion was a mistake.
Brown acknowledges the dilemma faced by anti-abortion groups but argues that they must demonstrate strength of conviction.
“If they let these comments slide without saying anything, then they’re essentially giving permission for other Republican politicians to take a similar approach, who don’t possess Trump’s unique influence over a certain base of the party,” Brown explained. “These kinds of things need to be called out, regardless of whether it makes it easier to work with him in the future.”
Following the “Meet the Press” interview, Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, sent a letter to the Trump campaign seeking clarification on his positions.
In the letter, Hawkins requested Trump to address his criticisms of the six-week bans, asserting that heartbeat laws are not terrible and should be the minimum standard for any Republican candidate committed to protecting lives from direct abortion.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America stated that they will not endorse any candidate unless they publicly support a 15-week abortion ban, which Trump has not done.
“We need a National Defender of Life who aligns with the consensus of Americans, not someone who wastes time negotiating with the no-limits abortion Left, which is not interested in compromising on this issue,” the group emphasized.
Despite the belief among GOP strategists and activists that Trump has virtually secured the Republican primary and shifted focus to the general election, there is uncertainty about whether his attempts to position himself as an abortion moderate will appeal to more voters or alienate them.
Brian Seitchik, a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign member, suggests that Trump is targeting college-educated suburban women who supported him in 2016 but not in 2020 by highlighting his economic record.
“If the focus is on Trump’s economic record…I believe it has the potential to win back those college-educated voters,” Seitchik stated.
Seitchik adds that Trump might be willing to take positions that alienate some evangelical voters during the primaries because of his significant lead.
“He has a lot of leeway. So if he has to lose some Christian conservatives in the primary with the intention of winning back swing voters in the general, I think it’s a smart move. Those Christian conservatives who may leave him in the primaries will undoubtedly return in the general election. They won’t vote for Joe Biden,” Seitchik explained.
Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, a super PAC funding state anti-abortion campaigns, believes that Trump must clearly commit to a federal abortion policy to secure the anti-abortion vote.
Schilling warns that by vacillating, Trump risks these voters opting to stay home on election day.
“My biggest concern with him is that he thinks he can win over Democrats. These are individuals trying to put him in prison, for crying out loud. There’s no world in which Democrats are ever at peace with him or support what he’s doing,” Schilling expressed.
Abortion rights groups and the Biden campaign are aware of Trump’s attempts to distance himself from his prior statements and shift to a more moderate position.
“No matter how Republicans try to message it or the words they use, their position is the problem. This is a devastating stance they are taking,” noted Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications and research at Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL).
Vasquez-Giroux believes that in 2016, Trump was able to obscure his views on abortion because the topic was not heavily discussed. However, she contends that the world has now awakened to the new reality shaped by Trump and the Republican Party.
“You can’t just put that back in a box,” Vasquez-Giroux concluded.
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