Trump’s Flip-Flop on Abortion is a Fatal Error
Trump was one of the most pro-life presidents in American history. So why his recent backflip on abortion?
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump last weekend declared he will negotiate on abortion to “bring peace” between abortion advocates and pro-lifers.
He also attacked his chief challenger Ron DeSantis for signing a six-week abortion ban as Florida Governor that has been praised by defenders of the unborn.
It was not a good look for the former President, who just 24 hours earlier had dubbed himself “the most pro-life president in American history” before a crowd of Christians at the 2023 Pray Vote Stand Summit in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s flip-flopping on abortion came during an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” Sunday.
“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,” he told Walker.
When asked whether he would sign a federal bill protecting unborn children from abortions beginning at 15 weeks, Trump replied, “I’m not going to say I would or I wouldn’t.”
Seeking an edge over his rival Ron DeSantis, who recently approved a Florida ban on abortions after six weeks, the 45th president said, “I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.”
Trump quickly qualified his remarks, adding, “But we’ll come up with a number, but at the same time, Democrats won’t be able to go out at six months, seven months, eight months and allow an abortion.”
The ENTIRE 8-minute exchange on abortion between President Trump and Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, not the 1-minute clip shared by @aghamilton29 and @DeSantisWarRoom. pic.twitter.com/m0lNAAq1Qr
— JoMa 🏴 (@joma_gc) September 18, 2023
Reactions to Trump’s Abortion Comments
It was a major misread — some might argue betrayal — of Trump’s pro-life supporter base, which has long argued that protections are needed much earlier in pregnancy to save the majority of unwanted babies.
Pro-life advocates have reacted strongly to Trump’s surrender on abortion.
Tony Perkins, a long-time supporter of Trump and chairman of FRC Action — a major sponsor of the Pray Vote Stand Summit — said, “Quite frankly, it was a bit troubling”.
Ryan Bomberger, founder of The Radiance Foundation, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “You don’t ‘negotiate’ about how many more children should be killed by the violence of abortion.”
While on the campaign trail in Iowa, Ron DeSantis hit back at Trump, saying, “Donald Trump may think it’s terrible. I think protecting babies with heartbeats is noble and just and I’m proud to have signed the heartbeat bill in Florida.”
“I don’t know how you can even make the claim that you’re somehow pro-life if you’re criticising states for enacting protections for babies that have heartbeats,” he added.
Perhaps the harshest rebuke came from Lila Rose of Live Action.
“Pathetic and unacceptable,” she wrote on X. “Trump is actively attacking the very pro-life laws made possible by Roe’s overturning. Heartbeat Laws have saved thousands of babies. But Trump wants to compromise on babies’ lives so pro-abort Dems ‘like him.’ Trump should not be the GOP nominee.”
Pathetic and unacceptable.
Trump is actively attacking the very pro-life laws made possible by Roe’s overturning.
Heartbeat Laws have saved thousands of babies.
But Trump wants to compromise on babies’ lives so pro-abort Dems “like him.”
Trump should not be the GOP nominee. https://t.co/oYRz3rNmre
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) September 17, 2023
Was Trump the Most Pro-Life President?
Somewhat ironically, Trump quite possibly does deserve the title “the most pro-life president in America’s history” — at least, according to his erstwhile achievements.
Though Trump supported abortion for most of his pre-political life, he changed his tune when elected to the White House with the help of a strong Christian constituency and in the good company of pro-life advisors.
“Every child, born and unborn, is a sacred gift from God” was a phrase regularly heard during his speeches as president.
Trump introduced changes to the Title X program so that taxpayer dollars didn’t directly fund abortions. He expanded the Mexico City Policy to ensure American dollars weren’t used to promote abortion abroad.
Mike Pompeo, a committed Christian and Trump appointee, played a key role in launching the Geneva Consensus Declaration, promoting the high value of the family, women, and the right to life on the global stage.
Trump made an impressive 226 judicial appointments during his single term — mostly conservative judges who will influence abortion laws in American courts for decades to come.
Three of Trump’s appointments — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — were to the Supreme Court, giving conservatives a 6-3 majority at America’s most powerful bench.
Indeed, the single greatest pro-life achievement of the Trump presidency was what those appointments allowed: the historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Mat Staver, president of the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel, estimated in 2019 that Donald Trump fulfilled around 90 percent of the requests put to him by Christian groups. At the time, Staver called Trump “the most pro-religious freedom and pro-life president in modern history”.
Why Trump’s Abortion Backflip Makes No Sense
At a time when abortion is brazenly and dishonestly promoted as a “reproductive right” and a form of “healthcare”, Trump pushed back without apology. In fact, the very traits for which Trump was and is despised — his bullishness and swagger — were also what he marshalled best in defence of the unborn.
All of these facts are what make Trump’s recent backflip on abortion so astounding.
It is evident that without the steady moral influence of strongly pro-life voices — former Vice President Mike Pence especially — Trump may be a deft political player but he is still a worldly man in search of any enduring principles.
The most bizarre aspect of Trump’s abortion flip-flop is its evident lack of foresight.
Pray tell which Americans would vote for Donald J. Trump if only he were a little more pro-abortion?
Image via Bigstock. Originally published at Mercator.
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Our worship and prayer, and what we do in the spiritual realm, is actually powerful in shifting atmospheres.
Whether you love Trump or hate him he represents everything America stood for pre the neo-Communist era. We seen this in the fact that 74 million Americans put their trust in what Trump stood for last election.
It is so evident that Trump is anti-establishment the deep state has thrown every thing at him to try and stop his latest re-run for presidency.
Just look at the latest ploy by the Communist backed judicial system trying to take away his business Empire. There has been no formal complaint against him from any financial institution, no-one saying Trump ripped them off, yet a NY judge this week ruled Trump committed business fraud and has stripped Trump of his LLC company licences which in effect strip’s Trump of his own business that will be sold out from under him.
So this banter of how pro-life Trump is or not is a smoke screen to the larger problem facing American and that is the Communist Chinese take over of America.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-fraud-lawsuit-explainer-judge-business-empire-5e37f1468bd8ef63fff2e284886e3b8c
Peter, thank you for your take. You bring some important factors to the table. However, if Trump persists with his idea that ‘he’ can bring peace between pro-life and abortionists, he has made a fatal error. He should be able to see that light and darkness can’t mix, ever.
Jim,
Thank you for your insightful response. I deeply appreciate your reinforcement of the article’s original stance and the clear delineation you’ve made between light and darkness. It’s indeed essential for Christians to stand unwaveringly against what opposes our values. Yet, I can’t help but ponder: are we critiquing Trump primarily based on genuine concerns about his alignment with Christian values, or is there a degree of unjust bias against him?
I say this in light of how we as Christians have reacted to other personalities, particularly in Australia. For instance, the esteemed John Anderson, our former Deputy Prime Minister, on his “Conversations” podcast, engaged with figures who espouse views that diverge sharply from Christian beliefs. Yet, they’ve been received quite positively.
Dennis Prager, whom Anderson interviewed, openly supported certain forms of pornography, even controversially suggesting that animated child pornography might have its benefits. This stance is troubling, to say the least. Additionally, Anderson’s conversations with openly gay figures like Douglas Murray and Dave Rubin, who advocate for LGBTQ rights and issues like surrogacy for gay couples, have been embraced by many within the Christian conservative realm.
I share these examples not to discredit Anderson, Prager, Murray, or Rubin, but to underline the inconsistency in our reactions. While we’re quick to criticize some figures, we often overlook or even praise others who might hold views contrary to our faith.
Jim, my intention isn’t to challenge you or the original post’s author, but rather to highlight the importance of introspection and consistent values in our evaluations. Again, I genuinely value and respect your perspective.
Peter, wow, thank you for your insightful, detailed reply. I really value so much the ability that the Daily Declaration affords us of being able to ‘debate’ ‘these things’ in a respectful, considered way.
Now back to Trump. I really appreciate John Anderson’s work and I am thrilled that he gets to interview a very broad church of opinion. What we seem to have happened here with Trump is his apparent political maneuvering for what he considers to be to his advantage.
My question is this, can a states-person ever expect to succeed if they apparently betray their own integrity. I am not talking about the ‘sins of the past’ that should not be plastered over our present, but I am calling out, what appears here, to be an abdication of is previous stand. It not only shines a light on his views on abortion but also brings into question, ‘everything else’ he claims he has stood for.
What about Robert F Kennedy Jn? To me, this ‘revelation’ about Trump, tips me towards RFK Jn.
Jim,
Thank you for your thoughtful continuation of our discourse. To address your poignant question about a statesperson’s integrity: I agree, the foundation of any leader should be built upon unwavering principles. However, if we consider Trump’s recent stance on abortion, he seems to be advocating for a return to states’ rights on the issue. While this may come off as a departure from his earlier stance, one could argue that by emphasizing states’ rights, he’s embracing a longstanding conservative tenet.
However, I share your excitement about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. entering the 2024 presidential race. I recently watched his interview with Tucker Carlson and was genuinely impressed. His perspectives on Ukraine, vaccines, and the restructuring of the ‘three-letter agencies’ hint at a leader who is both introspective and unafraid to challenge the status quo.
Yet, as we weigh our options, it’s crucial to remember where each candidate stands on key issues. While Kennedy advocates for abortions after 12 weeks, this is still a stark contrast to Ron DeSantis’s heartbeat bill.
Jim, I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful work you’re doing with the Canberra Declaration. I wholeheartedly concur with your sentiment; it’s heartening to know that we can engage in robust debate while maintaining mutual respect. Looking forward to more enlightening exchanges in the future.
PS, I’m looking forward to making time in the future to read RFK Jr’s “The Real Anthony Fauci.” I’ve read nothing but great reviews about it.
Yes Peter for sure. So quick to condemn Ben. It’s a difficult issue…Trump is right not to legislate… the States have to make those decisions based on the will of their people. The job of the church is to be a present safety net for mothers who need help. Good on DeSantis . Good on Florida and Texas….and the others with the heartbeat law… not Trumps job to legislate but he will encourage the states to choose life for sure….. this is not a backflip as I see it but wise strategy toward a pro life goal.
I agree Pearl. He was really being relentlessly badgered. Think of what he didn’t say!
Of course God’s stance is pro-LIFE. We need to pray for all to have the courage of Godly convictions. The pressure for some is horrendous.
I think he may well have lost a huge swathe of his base.
God’s stand is Pro Life.
Ours must be.
A fatal error indeed.
Leonie, sadly, I think you are right.
My opposition to Abortion has been motivated by what I saw as a 4 -year old who knelt and cried “Mummy, please don’t die !” ( Her backyard abortion nearly took her life ). Another ( who had it done in a NZ hospital ) was in serious danger when sepsis developed afterwards and her life had to be saved by further surgery in hospital. My opposition to abortion was further reinforced (not by religious teaching ) at age 15 by photos of the developing baby at eg 2 weeks , etc in my school book at a South Australian State School. To pretend it is not a baby with fingers, toes , etc developing even at a very early stage is a LIE ! To me it is murder ! As a Catholic I cannot understand how President Biden , who calls himself a Catholic , can support Abortion or receive Holy Communion at Mass ? Votes are all that most politicians care about these days . Where is Integrity ?
Countess, very well said! Thank you.