The Trump White House is taking steps to keep anti-abortion rights advocates in its court, as mounting frustration builds in the movement.
As the March for Life protest took over Washington, D.C. on Friday, anti-abortion activists at large have been frustrated with the Trump White House as they see a lack of urgency from the administration on executing their abortion agenda.
The Trump administration has seemingly noticed, as the White House met with several anti-abortion leaders to try and win them back, according to a report from the Washington Post.
“We are concerned about lethargy we see right now,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, told the Post.
After appointing three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, who ultimately struck down the federal right to an abortion, Trump, in his second term, has taken a step back from the anti-abortion movement.
During his third presidential campaign, Trump backed away from calling for a national abortion ban, as many conservatives hoped, and he stripped the Republican Party’s platform of supporting its most aggressive abortion policies.
Trump has also said that Congress should be “a little flexible” on the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from being used on abortions.
Trump also did not speak at the March for Life protest this year, instead sending in a pre-recorded video.
“It’s hard to say someone is ‘the most pro-life’ when they are allowing the abortion pill [to remain accessible] and they could stop it, or they’re saying things like they could be ‘flexible’ on Hyde, or they’re taking things actively out of the Republican Party platform that defended life and saying, basically, some abortions are acceptable,” Lila Rose, a prominent anti-abortion activist, told the Post.
Rose said other abortion centric policies from the Trump administration “have been a huge disappointment.”
As the Trump White House looks to make amends with the activists, it held a private meeting on Thursday ahead of the protest to brief the disgruntled anti-abortion activists on some of its new policy initiatives.
Some of the policy ideas include an investigation from the Small Business Administration into Planned Parenthood regarding their acceptance of pandemic-era loans, and the cessation of funding research that uses aborted fetal tissue, according to the Post.
One activist described the meeting to the Post as “cleanup on Aisle 5” by the White House.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned nearly four years ago, abortion has been largely a losing issue for the GOP, as even in ruby-red states like Kansas and Missouri, voters have passed abortion protections at the state level.
The issue appears to have bubbled beyond just anti-abortion advocates and into some of the most prominent figures in the modern Republican Party.
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer attacked Vice President JD Vance for speaking at this year’s March for Life, posting on X, “Why is the GOP pushing more abortion messaging in a midterm election year? Didn’t they learn their lesson in 2018?”
“Trump doesn’t like when the GOP focuses on abortion,” she said. “How many times does he have to say this? Trump gets it. The GOP will blow the midterms.”
Vance hit back at Loomer, saying Trump “literally sent a video to the March for Life today and encouraged me to accept their invitation.”
“It’s interesting that some ‘conservative influencers’ spend all of their time attacking the administration and sowing division,” he added. “Disgraceful actually.”
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