The man who took down Roe is taking hits from my favorite pro-life organization. Wow. Didn’t see this coming. But now that I’ve read it I think I get it.
Trump seems to be saying that abortion should be decided by the states. I get why he’d say this. It’s because when Roe was the law of the land many pro-lifers said abortion shouldn’t be decided by judicial fiat. They cited federalism in their arguments.
But since Trump nominated three justices who bravely overturned Roe, the ground has shifted and Trump has failed to keep up to the shifting ground. Or maybe he’s looking to punt on the abortion issue altogether by saying it’s a state issue.
A leading anti-abortion group blasted former President Donald Trump on Thursday after his campaign said he believes states should decide abortion laws.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America issued a scathing response to a statement the Trump campaign made to The Washington Post when it was asked whether Trump supported the six-week abortion ban a likely 2024 opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis, signed into law in Florida.
“President Donald J. Trump believes that the Supreme Court, led by the three justices which he supported, got it right when they ruled this is an issue that should be decided at the state level,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung told the Post.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser blasted Trump by name in a statement Thursday after the story was published.
“President Trump’s assertion that the Supreme Court returned the issue of abortion solely to the states is a completely inaccurate reading of the Dobbs decision and is a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate to hold,” Dannenfelser said.
“We will oppose any presidential candidate who refuses to embrace at a minimum a 15-week national standard,” she added.
After reaching out to Cheung for comment, a Trump spokesperson responded by saying, “Our focus here should be on saving lives and avoiding the Radical Left’s traps, not on dividing the pro-life community.”
The spokesperson also reiterated Trump’s position that states should be the decision-makers on abortion.
At first, I was a little surprised at her strong wording on this. Trump is the president who nominated three justices who overturned Roe. Seems to me that this might not have been just some typical off-the-cuff comments by Trump but perhaps his actual stance for his presidential run.
Let’s be honest, pro-life candidates have taken some hits since Roe was overturned. Democrats have made some gains painting pro-lifers as radical nutjobs. By punting it to the states, some Republicans running for federal office might be looking to wash their hands of the abortion issue altogether.
Dannenfelser don’t play that. So now that I look into this more I’m firmly in Camp Dannenfelser on this one.
April 21, 2023 at 7:38 am
“‘President Trump’s assertion that the Supreme Court returned the issue of abortion solely to the states is a completely inaccurate reading of the Dobbs decision and is a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate to hold,’ Dannenfelser said.”
How does Dannenfelser argue that the Dobbs decision says that the “the issue of abortion” is a federal issue? How does Dannenfelser argue that the Dobbs decision permits a “15-week national standard” on the federal level? My understanding, which of course may be wrong, it that the Dobbs decision absolutely sends the issue of abortion to the states. I would like to hear Dannenfelser’s argument(s) to the contrary. (Links? Online pdf? I haven’t seen one.)
April 21, 2023 at 7:38 am
Because murder isn’t an issue states get to decide.
April 21, 2023 at 9:28 am
What an outstanding opportunity for intellectual and moral introspection.
Abortion can be considered a state issue when the federal government attempts to force states to allow unrestricted abortion. States are then justified in legislating to protect their unborn residents.
Abortion can be considered a federal issue when the federal government asserts its duty to protect the life and liberty of its citizens. The federal government is then justified in legislating to protect its unborn citizens.
At the moment our culture may not be prepared for such a subtle debate. We are still trying to figure out the difference between boys and girls. Perhaps getting it down to the state level is the best we can do right now.
May 2, 2023 at 3:35 pm
Matt, here’s a different take on this kerfuffle from Revolver.news
https://www.revolver.news/2023/05/pro-life-groups-turn-on-trump-the-reason-why-will-sicken-you/