Trump woos evangelical audience with anti-abortion speech
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Donald Trump told Christian evangelicals that the US government had a “vital role” to play in protecting unborn children, but stopped short of endorsing a national 15-week abortion ban backed by his Republican rivals.
In Washington DC on Saturday, the former president hinted his administration would impose abortion curbs but was careful to avoid specifics as he tried to woo evangelical Republicans without alienating mainstream voters.
“Every child born and unborn is a sacred gift from God,” he told 3,000 members of the influential Faith and Freedom Coalition. “We’ll get something done.”
Mr Trump was speaking on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the abolition of Roe v Wade, which had mandated a national right to abortion. He claimed credit for the reversal of the 1973 Supreme Court ruling, saying it was through his appointment of judges to the nation’s highest court that the question of abortion was thrown back to the governments of America’s 50 states.
“I got it done and nobody thought it was even a possibility,” he said. “As your president, I will continue to stand proudly for pro-life policies just as I did for four strong years,” he said.
“We cannot be afraid to take on the Democratic extremists ... that’s why when I’m re-elected I will continue to fight against the demented late-term abortionists.”
Abortion remains a difficult issue for Mr Trump, who once supported a woman’s right to choose.
Despite toughening his stance on the issue, he fears being outflanked on the Right by his rivals for the nomination.
Former vice-president Mike Pence has called on all Republican candidates to support a 15-week abortion ban.
In a thinly-veiled attack on Mr Trump, he chided “others” who have suggested continuing the fight for life “could produce state legislation that’s too harsh”.
Mr Trump has defended exemptions to abortion bans on behalf of women who have been raped or are the victim of incest.
Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor and Mr Trump’s main rival for the nomination, boasted how his state had some of the strictest abortion laws in the US, with a ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.
“We have also delivered in Florida on promoting a culture of life and that means signing the heartbeat bill into law that protects unborn children when there’s a detectable heartbeat,” he told the conference.
Tim Scott, the South Carolina senator, vowed to sign the “most conservative pro-life legislation” if he became president.
And Nikki Haley told the conference she would support federal curbs on abortion as she promised to “save as many babies and help as many moms as possible”.
But like Mr Trump, she was vague on the specifics. Only last month she described as “unrealistic” the chances of a federal abortion ban.
“I’m not going to lie to the American people. Nothing’s going to happen if we don’t get 60 votes in the Senate. We’re not even close to that on the Republican or the Democrat side,” she said on Face the Nation.
‘He’s my guy right now’
While a tough line on abortion would help Mr Trump win conservative support, he is acutely aware that it could be a political liability in a general election.
Privately, Mr Trump is understood to have told allies that tacking too far to the Right on the issue could cost the party the support of suburban female voters.
His caution appears to have been justified by recent polls. An NBC poll last week showed 61 per cent of voters opposed the overturning of Roe v Wade with 53 per cent of respondents saying abortion had become too difficult.
Nevertheless, Mr Trump’s 90-minute speech appeared to go down well with members of the Faith and Freedom coalition.
Their support was resolute for a man who has been divorced twice and been accused of paying hush money to cover up an alleged affair with a stripper.
He received a standing ovation from the audience, especially when hailing the overturning of Roe v Wade.
Trump critic and rival for the nomination Chris Christie was roundly booed as he launched an attack on the former president describing him as a failed leader unfit for another term in the White House.
“I’m running because he’s let us down,” he said
David Porter, 64, a Republican from Newport News, Virginia, who wore a “Walk With Jesus” hat to the rally, encapsulated the views of many at the conference.
While concerned at what he saw as Mr Trump’s evasiveness on abortion, Mr Porter told the New York Times he still backed the former president.
“He’s my guy right now.”
