“Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court.”
That was the statement released by former president Donald Trump in 2022 when the Supreme Court decided to strike down the long-established Roe vs. Wade ruling that allowed Americans free access to abortion throughout the country.
And to be fair, Trump can take a significant credit for the new ruling, thanks to the three conservative Supreme Court justices he appointed – Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barret – who formed the backbone of the justices who voted to overturn existing pro-abortion laws.
Which is why many were surprised – and no small amount of anger was expressed as well – when on his first mainstream television appearance, the former commander-in-chief appeared to soften his stance on abortion significantly, saying that he would not only be willing to mediate between Republicans and Democrats on the issue of abortion, but would be an excellent choice on top of it all.
“Both sides are going to like me,” he said. “We’re going to have something that’s acceptable.”
Trump then talked of “getting the right number of weeks” to compromise with Democrats as to when abortion would still be acceptable, and blasted states like Florida that enacted a six-week abortion ban in the state. “You’re never going to win,” Trump said of DeSantis’ “terrible idea.”
Known for his ultra-conservative religious views, former vice president Mike Pence was quick to condemn his former boss and point out that Trump really isn’t the right candidate to represent the kind of values the GOP stands for.
Speaking in an interview with Fox Business, Pence said, “Just this weekend again, you saw [Trump] walking away from our commitment to the sanctity of human life. I’m pro-life. People that know me know, I’ll always stand for the unborn. He actually said that a Heartbeat Bill adopted in Florida, and in places like Georgia and Ohio and South Carolina, and Iowa was a quote, terrible mistake.”
Another rival, South Carolina Governor Tim Scott said, “President Trump said he would negotiate with Democrats and walk back away from where I believe we need to be.” He added, “Frankly, today, those pro-life folks that we really want to stand with us, they’re not standing.”
And the feelings of disappointment and betrayal aren’t just limited to Trump’s rivals. Mark Lee Dickson is anti-abortion activist and one of the people who worked on passing the “heartbeat ban” on abortion in Texas. Dickinson is a long-time ardent Trump fan, going even as far as comparing the former president to Roman Emperor Constantine. “He (Trump) was good for Christianity and the pro-life movement.”
Prior to Trump’s latest statements on abortion, he was part of a group organizing a major pro-Trump rally in Lubbock, Texas. Now, he’s having second thoughts.
“What I want to do is get up onstage and brag about Trump. But at this point, his statements do not represent what we have worked for 50 years,” Dickinson told news outlet The Atlantic. He added the overturning of Roe vs. Wade is just the first step towards having a universal federal ban on abortive procedures throughout the country.
As of this writing, Trump still enjoys a very comfortable lead over his rivals, at least in terms of what the polls are saying. Still, it’s too early to say if he has the primary in the bag, especially in light of his statements on an extremely polarizing subject like abortion. And given the outrage and disappointment being expressed about his pandering to more left- and liberal-leaning voters, it might just be the thing that gives his rivals the edge they need to secure the Republican presidential nomination.
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations – covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
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