(LifeSiteNews) — Former president Donald Trump, until recently heralded as a pro-life hero, pushed back against pro-life leaders who have criticized his increasingly softening stance on abortion “rights” and protections as he campaigns for a second White House term.
While many who have been strong pro-life allies of Trump took to social media to object to his seeming incremental capitulation to pro-abortion forces in the hope of broadening support among independents and Democrats, the former president singled out Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser and Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina for expressing their disappointment in him.
Trump began by taking aim at the South Carolina senator:
“I blame myself for Lindsey Graham, because the only reason he won in the Great State of South Carolina is because I Endorsed him!”
The former president made it clear that scoring a campaign win — not principles rooted in immutable, timeless truths about the extreme worth and dignity of every human life — is what is of paramount importance to him.
Rather than championing a federal ban on the destruction of human life within the womb, he has recalibrated his stance, focusing on making abortion a state’s rights issue.
“Senator Lindsey Graham and Marjorie Dannenfelser should study the 10th Amendment and States’ Rights. When they do, they should proudly get on with helping Republicans to WIN ELECTIONS, rather than making it impossible for them to do so!”
“People forget, fighting Roe v. Wade was, right from the beginning, all about bringing the Issue back to the States, pursuant to the 10th Amendment and States’ Rights. It wasn’t about anything else,” Trump said on Truth Social.
He continued:
After we won, Marjorie Dannenfelser of SBA, and Lindsey Graham, started saying, “No, let’s go back to the Federal Government with 0 weeks,” and when they got nowhere, they upped it to 6 week, and more recently they upped it to 15 weeks, and were obviously willing to take the number UPWARD, UPWARD, UPWARD because they were getting nowhere with the Democrats, and they never will, because the Democrats would never give up on this Issue no matter how many weeks the Republicans went – even if they went, “Unlimited Abortion!”
We had a Great Victory, it’s back in the States where it belongs, and where everyone wanted it. The States will be making the decision. Republicans are now free to run for Office based on the Horrible Border, Inflation, Bad Economy, and the Death & Destruction of our Country!
In response to Trump’s announcement about his position on abortion, Dannenfelser said that she and her organization “are deeply disappointed in President Trump’s stance.
“Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry,” the SBA Pro-Life America leader said. “The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act.”
“Saying the issue is ‘back to the states’ cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy,” Dannefelser continued. “If successful, they will wipe out states’ rights.”
Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action, pulled no punches in responding to Trump’s announcement.
Killing babies is always wrong. President Trump is not a pro-life candidate. He’s far less pro-abortion than Biden, but he supports killing some preborn children and will even make that his position in an attempt to get pro-abortion votes.
President Trump says that abortion should come down to the ‘will of the people.’ It is not right for democratic societies to vote on the fundamental rights of unpopular minorities. There is no more unpopular minority today than preborn Americans. Abortion is not about the ‘will of the people,’ it’s about respecting the human right that we are endowed with by our creator. Our rights come from God, not the government. Those rights do not change because of the circumstances of our conception. Children conceived in rape do not deserve to be killed. Children conceived in IVF do not deserve to be killed, frozen indefinitely or subjected to lethal science experiments.
“The pro-life movement across our nation is strong and growing. I implore President Trump to reject this swamp-consultant-driven position to abandon families and children at risk from abortion,” Rose urged.
Many others took to social media to express their regret, if not disillusionment, over Trump’s remarks.
“This is disappointing,” said actor Kevin Sorbo, who urged Trump to “take a stand.”
This is disappointing. Take a stand. https://t.co/lQetzyCVQG
— Kevin Sorbo (@ksorbs) April 8, 2024
When an X user defended Trump’s position, saying, “It’s easy to spew virtue. It’s hard to win an election,” conservative commentator Jesse Kelly responded, “No. What’s easy is giving up what’s right for what’s popular. That’s what’s easy. It’s the easiest thing in the world. That’s why almost everyone does it.”
“What’s hard is saying ‘No’ when the whole world tells you you’re wrong,” Kelly added.
No. What’s easy is giving up what’s right for what’s popular. That’s what’s easy. It’s the easiest thing in the world. That’s why almost everyone does it.
What’s hard is saying “No” when the whole world tells you you’re wrong. https://t.co/xCyZLQj2R7
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) April 9, 2024
“When the left has an unpopular position, they keep hammering it into people’s minds until it becomes mainstream,” X user JeanBoi wrote in support of Kelly. “When the right has an unpopular position, they immediately abandon it and conform to the left’s policies.”
When the left has an unpopular position, they keep hammering it into people’s minds until it becomes mainstream. When the right has an unpopular position, they immediately abandon it and conform to the left’s policies
— JeanBoi (@JeanBoi15) April 8, 2024