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In a move many conservatives and Christians find devastating, the Republican presidential nominee and his running mate are walking further away from their pro-life base. Former President Donald Trump posted Friday evening on Truth Social, “My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.” The term “reproductive rights” is used to refer to abortion.

Shortly afterwards, in a Sunday interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, repudiated the notion of federal pro-life legislation. Asked whether or not he would commit to not “impos[ing] a federal ban on abortion,” Vance replied, “I can absolutely commit to that.”

He continued, “I think it’s important to step back and say, ‘What has Donald Trump actually said on the abortion question, and how is it different from what Kamala Harris and the Democrats have said?’ Donald Trump wants to end this culture war over this particular topic.”

He continued, “Donald Trump’s view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions, because we don’t want to have a non-stop federal conflict over this issue.” Vance added, “I think Donald Trump is right. We want the federal government to focus on these big economic and immigration questions. Let the states figure out their own abortion policies.”

Vance was further asked if Trump would outright veto federal pro-life laws. The senator responded, “I think he would. He said that explicitly that he would.” He continued, “I think if you’re not supporting it, as the President of the United States, you fundamentally have to veto it.”

Hurting Their Cause

Both Trump’s social media post and Vance’s comments have been met with dismay and criticism from conservatives. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins quipped, “My advice is, when you’re in a hole, stop digging.” Referring to the recent Democratic National Convention’s obsessive focus on abortion, Perkins continued,

“This week made clear: the DNC has the corner on the abortion market. Trump is not only suppressing his own support, he is going to hurt the vast majority of Republican candidates who are 100% pro-life.”

In comments to The Washington Stand, FRC’s Director of the Center for Human Dignity Mary Szoch said, “Democrats have seemingly succeeded in making the upcoming presidential election a ballot initiative on abortion.”

She continued,

“Instead of talking about the horrific conditions American families are facing — dangerous streets because of an invasion at the border, enormous grocery bills because of out-of-control inflation, and a fear of an impending World War III — the Trump campaign has chosen to talk about ‘reproductive rights.’

And while the Trump campaign has clarified this was a reference to IVF and contraception, posts like this have pro-lifers debating whether they should vote. In an election where every single vote matters — especially because Democrats will try to cheat — pro-life votes can’t be taken for granted.”

Washing His Hands

Early this year, Trump insisted that the federal government does not have a role in abortion-related legislation, instead saying that the issue should be left to the individual states. Since then, the 45th president has touted the pro-life record achieved by his first administration, including appointing the U.S. Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, and has pledged to protect pro-life Americans who are being prosecuted and imprisoned under the current Biden-Harris administration. However, he has maintained that the federal government should not be involved in abortion-related legislation and removed the longstanding commitment to pro-life principles from the GOP’s 2024 party platform.

Other Republicans, such as Vance, have followed Trump’s lead. Shortly before being named Trump’s running mate, Vance endorsed the abortion drug mifepristone, also in a Meet the Press interview. “On the question of the abortion pill, what so many of us have said is that … the Supreme Court made a decision saying that the American people should have access to that medication, Donald Trump has supported that opinion, I support that opinion,” he said early last month.

He continued, “I think it’s important to say that we actually have to have an important conversation in this country about what our abortion policy should be.” Vance added, “Donald Trump is the pragmatic leader here, he’s saying most abortion policy’s going to be decided by the states.”

Lila Rose, founder of the group Live Action, is one of the many pro-lifers to criticise Trump for trying to “ingratiate himself with those that are pro-abortion.” “Not only is it not principled, it’s not going to help the Trump campaign to be trying to sound like a Democrat right now,” Rose said.