麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Anti-abortion group aligns with Trump, weeks after criticism

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. No Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights than Trump. But in the early days of the 2024 presidential contest, no Republican has worked harder to avoid the issue than the former president either. More than his GOP rivals, Trump is sidestepping the polarizing topic just nine months after he celebrated the Supreme Court's stunning decision to strip women鈥檚 constitutional right to abortion. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2023, March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. No Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights than Trump. But in the early days of the 2024 presidential contest, no Republican has worked harder to avoid the issue than the former president either. More than his GOP rivals, Trump is sidestepping the polarizing topic just nine months after he celebrated the Supreme Court's stunning decision to strip women鈥檚 constitutional right to abortion. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Share
HOUSTON -

The leader of a major anti-abortion group aligned herself Monday with former President Donald Trump on the issue, just weeks after raising questions about his commitment to restricting access to the procedure.

Calling her meeting Monday with Trump "terrific," Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, said in a statement that he "reiterated that any federal legislation protecting these children would need to include the exceptions for life of the mother and in cases of rape and incest."

The characterization of the meeting -- which Dannenfelser's group said happened at Trump's Florida home -- marked a turnaround from more than two weeks ago. Then, Dannenfelser called Trump's contention that abortion restrictions should be left up to individual states, not the federal government, a "morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate."

Dannenfelser's group has said it would not support any White House candidate who did not at a minimum support a 15-week federal abortion ban. Her statement about Monday's meeting with the leading GOP contender didn't mention any discussion of proposed confines for a federal ban, aside from Trump's opposition to late-term procedures, which he has long opposed.

Trump has referred to himself as "the most pro-life president in American history," as his three nominations of conservative judges to the Supreme Court paved the way for the reversal of Roe v Wade, which had legalized abortion nationwide for nearly 50 years.

But in the early months of his 2024 bid, Trump has often sidestepped the issue of abortion, even as Republicans across the country celebrate the Supreme Court decision stripping federal constitutional rights to the practice.

On Monday, Dannenfelser repeated a description she's previously used, calling Trump's term in office "the most consequential in American history for the pro-life cause." Despite the credit Trump received for his judicial nominations, he was criticized after last year's elections for saying that Republicans' underperformance was due to abortion foes' opposition to exceptions for women who became pregnant by rape or incest or whose life was at risk.

Trump's campaign didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the meeting, which Dannenfelser also said included Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina -- one of Trump's top congressional allies -- along with Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a Christian conservative ally of Trump's.

All the candidates running in the Republican presidential primary or moving toward a bid have supported state bans on abortion. Most have been much more cautious about staking a position on a nationwide ban, though entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign has said he believes it's an issue for the states, not the federal government.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who has launched a presidential exploratory committee and is expected to enter the race later this month, has said he would sign a federal law to prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy if elected president.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month signed a state abortion ban that, if upheld by the courts, would ban the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, or before many women know they are pregnant. It will take effect only if the state Supreme Court, which is controlled by conservatives, upholds Florida's current 15-week ban, which is part of an ongoing legal challenge.

The Florida ban would be one of the toughest in the U.S. But DeSantis has not made clear his position on whether such restrictions should be imposed across the country.

Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and one-time United Nations ambassador, has called abortion a "personal issue" that should be left to the states, though she has left open the possibility of a federal ban. Last month, in a speech at SBA's headquarters, Haley said she saw a federal role in the debate but stopped short of endorsing a national ban.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who as governor signed a law banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, has said he would sign a federal ban but stopped short of saying what timelines he would support as president.

Trump's stance has provided an opening on the right for potential rivals like former Vice President Mike Pence, an evangelical Christian with long-held anti-abortion views. Pence's advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

An Ontario woman is feeling uneasy after she received a sextortion email demanding she pay the fraudster US$1,900 in Bitcoin or risk having compromising photographs of herself shared with her loved ones.

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development is investigating after an employee was found deceased at a Cambridge grocery store.

A recall for a type of jelly pork sold in Ontario has been issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), citing a possible Listeria contamination.

Mounties have released startling new details about their investigation into the disappearance of Amber Manthorne, who was reported missing on Vancouver Island more than two years ago, and is believed to have met with foul play.

JD Vance says 'no,' Trump did not lose the 2020 U.S. election

U.S. vice-presidential candidate JD Vance said "no," former U.S. president Donald Trump did not lose the 2020 election "by the words" the Ohio Republican would use, when asked Wednesday what message it sends to independent voters that he has not directly answered that question.

Local Spotlight

An Ottawa man was arrested after taking a shower in a stranger's house, Ottawa police say.

S岣祑x瘫w煤7mesh 脷xwumixw (Squamish Nation) Chef Paul Natrall, the man behind Indigenous food truck Mr. Bannock, is bringing cooking classes on First Nations fare to schools and offices throughout Metro Vancouver.

The Celtic Colours Festival is taking place at venues around Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia from Oct. 11 to 19.

Sometimes love is written in the stars, but for one couple, it鈥檚 written in the aurora borealis.

Canadian hip hop artist Dillan King says running 100 marathons in 100 days was not only the hardest thing he has ever done, but the 'proudest accomplishment' of his entire life.

James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.