Donald Trump made history January 24 when he attended and addressed the 46th annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., the first president ever to appear at the iconic pro-life gathering, which began in 1974, the year after the U.S. Supreme Court effectively legalized abortion in the United States with its infamous Roe v. Wade decision.
“All of us here understand an eternal truth,” the president told the March for Life audience, made up of tens of thousands of pro-life individuals of all ages and backgrounds. “Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God. Together, we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life.”
Trump declared that “when we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation. When we hold a newborn in our arms, we know the endless love that each child brings to a family. When we watch a child grow, we see the splendor that radiates from each human soul.”
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He went on to list, in part, the accomplishments his administration has made on behalf of the unborn, as well as for religious freedom in general. However, he added, “The far left is working to erase our God-given rights, shut down faith-based charities, ban religious leaders from the public square, and silence Americans who believe in the sanctity of life. They are coming after me because I am fighting for you and we are fighting for those who have no voice. And we will win because we know how to win…. You’ve been winning for a long time.”
Trump specifically highlighted women for their pro-life leadership, saying that “millions of extraordinary women across America are using the power of their votes to fight for … the right to life.”
To the mothers in attendance, he said: “We celebrate you and we declare that mothers are heroes. Your strength, devotion, and drive is what powers our nation. Because of you, our country has been blessed with amazing souls who have changed the course of human history. We cannot know what our citizens yet unborn will achieve. The dreams they will imagine. The masterpieces they will create. The discoveries they will make. But we know this: Every life brings love into this world. Every child brings joy to a family. Every person is worth protecting.”
The president concluded his remarks with the observation that “every human soul is divine and every human life, born and unborn, is made in the holy image of Almighty God. Together we will defend this truth all across our magnificent land. We will set free the dreams of our people. And with determined hope, we look forward to all of the blessings that will come from the beauty, talent, purpose, nobility, and grace of every American child.”
Earlier, on the January 21, the 47th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s notorious Roe v. Wade ruling, President Trump issued a proclamation declaring that day National Sanctity of Human Life Day. “Today, I call on the Congress to join me in protecting and defending the dignity of every human life, including those not yet born,” the president declared in the proclamation. “I call on the American people to continue to care for women in unexpected pregnancies and to support adoption and foster care in a more meaningful way, so every child can have a loving home. And finally, I ask every citizen of this great nation to listen to the sound of silence caused by a generation lost to us, and then to raise their voices for all affected by abortion, both seen and unseen.”
LifeSiteNews.com noted that as president, “Trump has reinstated and expanded the ban on foreign aid to abortion-involved groups (including International Planned Parenthood Federation), banned groups that commit or refer abortions from Title X family planning funds, overturned Obama-era regulations that barred states from defunding Planned Parenthood, and issued rules protecting Americans from being forced to subsidize abortion in government-mandated health insurance plans.”
Pro-abortion leaders expressed their frustration at Trump’s commitment to defending the unborn. Ilyse Hogue, president of the Abortion Rights Action League, now known as NARAL Pro-Choice America, chided the president for his appearance at the March for Life rally, and accused him of “turning to deception and disinformation about abortion to gin up a vocal and extreme minority as he faces the escalating reality that his presidency is crumbling around him.”
In an organizational tweet, abortion giant Planned Parenthood complained that “since day one, the Trump-Pence admin has sought to undermine our access to health care, including safe, legal abortion.” Planned Parenthood’s interim president, Alexis McGill Johnson, added her own tweet, noting accurately that Trump’s appearance at the pro-life rally amounted to “confirmation that the sitting President of the United States is determined to end the American people’s ability to access abortion.”
By contrast, Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, thanked Trump for his commitment to protecting pre-born babies. “From the appointment of pro-life judges and federal workers, to cutting taxpayer funding for abortions here and abroad, to calling for an end to late-term abortions, President Trump and his administration have been consistent champions for life and their support for the March for Life has been unwavering,” Mancini said. “We are grateful for all these pro-life accomplishments and look forward to gaining more victories for life in the future.”
As the 2020 presidential race heats up, the National Right to Life (NRLC) Committee, the nation’s largest and most visible pro-life presence, has already officially backed President Trump for reelection. In a statement NRLC president Carol Tobias said that her group was “proud to endorse the only presidential candidate who stands for the unalienable right to life. From his first day in office, President Trump and his Administration have been dedicated to advancing policies that protect the fundamental right to life for the unborn, the elderly, and the medically dependent and disabled.”
Image of Donald Trump: Screenshot of FOX 10 Phoenix
