During a recent speech to a prominent evangelical audience on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, former U.S. President Donald Trump said that it was important for the battle against abortion to be fought at the state level. However, he did say that federal government still had a role in the issue but he did not identify national regulations he would advocate if he were to return to the Oval Office.
Trump told the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual conference:
“The greatest progress is now being made in the states, where everyone wanted to be.”
“One of the reasons they wanted Roe v. Wade terminated,” he said, “is to bring it back into the states where a lot of people feel strongly the greatest progress for pro-life is now being made
“There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life.”
In contrast, his ex-Vice President and prospective 2024 contender, Mike Pence, issued a clear challenge to all Republican presidential candidates during his speech at the same event a day before. He urged them to back a nationwide prohibition on abortions, particularly during or after the 15th week of pregnancy.
Despite being a leading contender in the Republican party, Trump has shown hesitancy in endorsing a nationwide abortion ban, suggesting that the decision should rest with individual states. Furthermore, he implied that pursuing stricter abortion laws could be a political risk for the Republican party. Nevertheless, his three Supreme Court nominations constituted the majority of justices who voted to rescind Roe v. Wade in the previous year.
Although initially hesitant to support Trump in his 2016 campaign, white evangelical Christians have since become staunch supporters. This shift is primarily due to Trump’s commitment to appoint justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade — a promise he fulfilled, resulting in the landmark ruling’s overturn.
