Trump’s High-Wire Act on Abortion Angers Conservatives

AFP/APP

Washington: Donald Trump is facing backlash from the anti-abortion movement as he navigates attacks from Kamala Harris over one of the most contentious issues in the US election.

The former president, who often touts his role in overturning the constitutional right to abortion, is now risking alienating his right-wing base by claiming to support “reproductive rights” amid criticism from the Democratic Party and a majority of Americans who favor access to the procedure.

Last week, the conservative National Review published a headline stating, “Trump’s abandonment of Pro-Lifers is complete.” Jeremy Boreing, co-founder of the right-wing website The Daily Wire, criticized Trump as “philosophically malleable,” adding that while his first term was one of the most pro-life in history, this legacy is at risk if Trump does not maintain his stance.

The controversy erupted after Trump posted on his Truth Social platform in response to days of attacks from Democrats during their national convention in Chicago.

“My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights,” he wrote, just hours after Harris accused him and the Republican Party of being “out of their minds” for their abortion stance. Boreing described Trump’s post as “the worst statement Donald Trump has made” since launching his presidential campaign in 2015, interpreting it as a pro-choice statement.

‘Beyond this Trump Moment’

Conservatives have long struggled to decipher Trump’s position on abortion, which has shifted over the years. His appointment of Supreme Court justices with anti-abortion views led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, making him a hero to many in the anti-abortion movement. However, this victory has since become an electoral challenge for the Republican Party, energizing voters in many elections to support Democrats who promise to restore Roe.

The anti-abortion movement is now pushing Trump to take even stronger positions, with some factions opposing fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and others advocating for a national abortion ban. Trump has tried to balance both sides, avoiding the issue of a national ban by repeatedly stating that “everyone” wants individual states to decide on abortion, even as he accuses Harris and the Democrats of “executing” babies.

In a recent Truth Social post, Trump also positioned the Republican Party as a “leader” on IVF, and on Thursday, he announced a plan to mandate free IVF treatments for any Americans who wanted them, although details on funding were not provided.

Additionally, Trump suggested in an NBC interview that he would oppose Florida’s ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, calling the timeframe “too short.” His campaign quickly clarified that Trump did not specify how he would vote in the upcoming referendum in his home state in November.

Philip Klein, editor of the National Review Online, warned that Trump risks further alienating pro-life voters and dividing his party while doing little to win over pro-choice supporters. While it’s unlikely that conservatives will shift their support to Harris, many on the right believe it may be time to move beyond Trump.

“The cause is way bigger and younger than Donald Trump,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told AFP. “It will shape the Republican Party beyond this Trump moment.”