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Former President Trump's guidance to a strict abortion prohibition successful Arizona has put him astatine likelihood pinch pro-life and Christian activists, who correspond a elector guidelines cardinal to his statesmanlike predetermination effort.
Last week, nan Trump statesmanlike run released a connection saying that states should determine really to modulate abortion. Days later, that position was tested erstwhile nan Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an 1864 rule banning abortion without objection for rape aliases incest should beryllium enforced.
Trump, who claims to beryllium nan astir pro-life president successful U.S. history, said nan court's determination "went excessively far" and urged lawmakers to "ACT IMMEDIATELY, to remedy what has happened." He said that "ideally" anti-abortion laws must incorporate exceptions for rape, incest and nan life of nan mother. In different comments, he expressed assurance that nan Arizona rule will beryllium "straightened out."
That connection was ill-received by Abby Johnson, a erstwhile Planned Parenthood head turned pro-life activist, who leads nan group "And Then There Were None."
TRUMP SAYS ARIZONA PRO-LIFE LAW WENT ‘TOO FAR’ AS BIDEN CAMP CLAIMS POLICY U-TURN
CEO of "And Then There Were None" Abby Johnson speaks during nan Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) successful a edifice successful Mexico City, Mexico Nov. 19, 2022. Johnson told Fox News Digital successful an question and reply that erstwhile President Donald Trump risks alienating pro-life voters by opposing authorities bans connected abortion without exceptions for rape aliases incest. (Reuters/Luis Cortes)
"What I heard was that [Trump] is simply a personification that does not judge successful banning abortion," Johnson told Fox News Digital successful an interview. She said location was a conflict betwixt Trump's position that states should determine for themselves and his connection that Arizona went "too far."
"So, present was a authorities that said we're going to prohibition abortion. And now he says, 'well, no, I don't want you to,'" Johnson said. "That tells maine he doesn't want to prohibition it astatine nan national level. But he besides doesn't judge nan states should person a correct to prohibition it astatine nan authorities level."
It was a disappointing improvement for Johnson, who said astatine nan 2020 Republican National Convention successful support of Trump's re-election. In her speech, she said Trump "has done much for nan unborn than immoderate different president." She pointed to respective of his accomplishments, including reinstating nan Mexico City argumentation — critics telephone it nan "global gag rule" — which blocks U.S. national backing for non-governmental organizations that support abortion services, arsenic good arsenic appointing nan Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade successful 2022, making authorities abortion restrictions possible.
Indeed, Trump takes in installments for his pro-life grounds regularly connected nan run trail. But he has besides many times criticized chap Republicans for taking a hard-line stance connected nan issue, blaming candidates who did not let for exceptions successful cases of rape, incest and erstwhile nan life of nan pregnant personification is astatine risk, for nan GOP's setbacks successful nan 2022 midterm elections.
"A batch of politicians who are pro-life do not cognize really to talk this topic, and they suffer their election. We had a batch of predetermination losses because of this, because they didn’t cognize to talk it. They had nary idea," he said past twelvemonth astatine a activity acme of nan Concerned Women of America.
The Trump run did not respond to a petition for comment.
TRUMP SAYS ABORTION SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE STATES, 'WILL OF THE PEOPLE'
Former US President Donald Trump during a run arena successful Green Bay, Wisconsin, US, connected Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Trump released a connection connected abortion authorities connected April 8, saying that states should beryllium free to determine their ain abortion restrictions. (Daniel Steinle/Getty Images)
The pro-life origin has besides suffered a fistful of defeats connected ballot initiatives that enshrined abortion authorities protections moreover successful reddish states for illustration Ohio and Kansas. Similar initiatives successful Arizona and Florida, among different states, are expected to thrust up turnout successful nan November election.
William Wolfe, a erstwhile Trump charismatic who served successful nan State and Defense Departments, said those defeats show that "the civilization successful America still loves abortion, aliases profoundly misunderstands what is happening successful an abortion."
Wolfe is nan executive head of nan Center for Baptist Leadership (CBL), a newly-founded nonprofit that exists to revitalize nan Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), America's largest Christian protestant denomination. Though nan group does not endorse aliases support governmental candidates, it released a connection past week chastising Trump for his abortion position and urging him "to forsake nan proposal of compromising governmental consultants."
Demonstrators during a Women's March rally successful Phoenix, Arizona, US, connected Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. Pro-choice groups condemned a authorities Supreme Court determination that said an 1864 rule banning astir abortions could beryllium enforced. (Caitlin O'Hara/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In an interview, Wolfe described nan Arizona abortion prohibition arsenic "a awesome law" and encouraged Trump to make an "unapologetic civilized argument" astir really abortion "ends guiltless life" and "should beryllium recognized arsenic murder."
"Evangelicals and Southern Baptists are eager to support candidates who show unflinching courageousness and make civilized arguments against nan civilizational termination that is abortion. I would promote everybody to guidelines beardown connected this rumor and tally to it and not distant from it, because we cognize that quality life is valuable and should beryllium protected from nan infinitesimal of fertilization until nan earthy death," he said.
ARIZONA SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS NEAR-TOTAL ABORTION BAN
Walker Wildmon, vice president and spokesperson of nan American Family Association, said nan Arizona Supreme Court ruling was a valid ruling that recognizes nan pro-life position, that life originates astatine conception and should beryllium protected until earthy death.
While giving Trump in installments for his record, Wildmon said nan erstwhile president's astir caller statements are "out of statement pinch his statement and nan full pro-life movement."
"Just arsenic slavery was a stain connected our country, abortion is besides a stain connected our country. So successful our view, since we judge that each life originates astatine conception, immoderate abortion is excessively galore abortions," he said.
Wildmon warned that Trump risks alienating a important number of Evangelical Christian voters by attempting to entreaty to independents aliases suburban women by watering-down his pro-life stance.
"The reality is that wiggling aliases squirming connected nan abortion rumor isn't going to prime him up galore voters," he said. "It will really suppress nan Evangelical Christian vote. There's already Evangelical Christians retired there, a ample voting bloc successful nan Republican Party, that person immoderate concerns astir President Trump and really he handles things and his self-control."
He added that Trump "really needs to beryllium moving to nan correct connected this issue" to consolidate his supporters up of a wide predetermination showdown pinch President Biden.
BILL MAHER SKEWERS TRUMP, GOP'S SHIFT ON ABORTION: ‘SO KILLING BABIES IS OK IN SOME STATES?'
While Republicans triangulate their position connected nan issue, Democrats person attempted to represent Trump arsenic nan man singularly responsible for stripping distant women's rights.
"Here successful Arizona, they person turned nan timepiece backmost much than a period connected women’s authorities and freedoms. The overturning of Roe was a seismic event. And this prohibition successful Arizona is 1 of nan biggest aftershocks yet," Vice President Kamala Harris said astatine a run arena successful Tuscon connected Friday.
She called Trump "the designer of this wellness attraction crisis" and based on a 2nd Trump word would mean "more bans, much suffering, little freedom."
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs gives a little reside anterior to President Joe Biden's remarks astatine nan Tempe Center for nan Arts connected Sept. 28, 2023 successful Tempe, Arizona. Hobbs has called connected nan Arizona legislature to repeal nan 1864 ban. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, said Trump appears mindful that far-reaching laws that restrict abortion entree could make his re-election difficult. He and nan different pro-life activists interviewed for this communicative emphasized that Trump remains nan champion replacement to President Biden for pro-life voters successful nan upcoming election.
"Trump whitethorn clasp nan position that, nether nan circumstances, states shouldn't spell that far. And he's surely entitled to that position. I judge he's incorrect connected that, but that's a far-cry from Joe Biden, who is saying he's consenting to enforce a nationwide abortion astatine immoderate stage, for immoderate reason, paid-for-by-taxpayers authorities connected nan country," Burch told Fox News Digital.
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Still, Johnson said that galore pro-life activists she's met pinch person told her Trump has mislaid their votes pinch his criticisms of nan Arizona rule and Florida's six-week abortion ban. "It doesn't mean that they're going to spell formed their ballot for Biden, but they are not going to ballot for Trump" she told Fox News Digital.
"I deliberation that conscionable saying that you're pro-life is not going to beryllium bully capable anymore for immoderate pro-life voters," Johnson added. "And truthful while I deliberation there's a batch of group who are waiting to see, and I'm 1 of those group who are waiting to spot if Trump is going to correct this ship, I deliberation that he does request to beryllium very observant pinch really he moves guardant betwixt now and nan election."
Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
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Chris Pandolfo is simply a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to [email protected] and travel him connected Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
