WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – Florida Republican governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis delivered a video message for attendees of the 51st annual March for Life, thanking them for their support of a “noble cause” in the face of “naysayers, even within the Republican Party.”
Pro-lifers from across and beyond America are currently marching from the National Mall to a concluding spot between the U.S. Capitol and U.S. Supreme Court, to celebrate the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade and build on that victory by urging Congress to take further action.
NEW: message from @RonDeSantis to the pro-life Americans joining the March for Life tomorrow: “We know that there’s a lot of battles ahead, we know that there’s a lot of naysayers out there, even within the Republican party, but standing for the sanctity of life is the right… pic.twitter.com/79vYbHa06L
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 19, 2024
“Today is the 51st March for Life. I want to thank you for standing for the sanctity of life,” DeSantis said. “I’m proud in the state of Florida to have signed legislation protecting babies with a detectable heartbeat. The heartbeat bill was something we worked very hard to achieve, and it is a landmark victory for the sanctity of life.”
“We know that there’s a lot of battles ahead, we know that there’s a lot of naysayers out there, even within the Republican Party, but standing for the sanctity of life is the right thing to do, and this is a noble cause,” he continued. “Thank you for what you are doing, and God bless you.”
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DeSantis has a strong pro-life record from his time as a congressman and as governor, and has committed to signing a national 15-week abortion ban as president.
The Daily Signal reports that fellow GOP candidate Nikki Haley, former United Nations Ambassador and ex-Governor of South Carolina, also gave the marchers her blessing. “To all those who are marching for life today, thank you,” she said. “Thank you for fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves and thank you for reminding the world that every life is special in the eyes of God.” She has previously called for seeking “consensus” on abortion and being more respectful to the pro-abortion side.
The current GOP frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, who had a pro-life record in office and addressed previous Marches, has not yet issued a statement about the March for Life. During the current campaign, he has been critical of heartbeat laws and stressed his support of rape and incest exceptions. LifeSiteNews will update this article if and when Trump makes a statement.
LifeSiteNews is in Washington, D.C., led by our Editor in Chief John-Henry Westen. We will be bringing you updates from the ground throughout the day. Live updates can be found here, and a complete schedule of the weekend’s events can be found here.
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