Republican vice-presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) said that Donald Trump, if elected president, would not support a national abortion ban and would veto such legislation if it reached his desk.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Saturday, Vance stated that he can “absolutely commit” that Trump would not impose such a ban, adding that the president’s view on this was “as clear as possible.”
He further clarified:
Donald Trump’s view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions because we don’t want to have a nonstop federal conflict over this issue.
As an example, he stressed that if California “wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California, and California has to respect Ohio.”
It is worth noting that, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, California’s “unique political sensibility” on abortion was reflected in legislative actions that were nothing short of extreme. The state not only enshrined the right to abortion in its constitution, but also passed laws protecting out-of-state residents seeking abortions, allowing non-physicians to perform them, and using taxpayer funds to cover abortion costs.
Vance’s remarks underscore a significant shift in the Republican narrative on abortion. Once centered on the moral conviction that life begins at conception and that terminating a pregnancy is morally equivalent to murder, the focus has now moved toward framing abortion as a legal matter best managed by individual states.
Trump: “Great for Women and Their Reproductive Rights”
While Trump has long been celebrated by pro-life advocates for his role in appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, his recent statements suggest a shift from a seemingly pro-life position that principally cherishes every life.
For instance, on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote on Friday that his administration would be “great for women and their reproductive rights,” evidently adopting the language of the pro-abortion crowd.
He reiterated this position during a Las Vegas event on the same day, expressing yet again his strong support for women’s “reproductive rights,” including controversial in vitro fertilization (IVF). Referencing his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, he said that “everybody wanted it [the issue of abortion] brought back to the states.” Yet, he quoted the “radical” policy of Minnesota that has no gestational limits on abortion. “[In Minnesota,] they have a right to kill a baby after birth,” Trump lamented before reiterating his commitment to respecting the states’ right to legislate on the matter.
Recently, Trump has made other statements indicating a willingness to compromise on abortion, which has caused frustration among some pro-life advocates.
For example, he said last week that he would not use the Comstock Act to ban the mail delivery of abortion pills if elected again, leading to sharp criticism from pro-life groups.
Shift From Previous Position
Additionally, his unwillingness to endorse a national abortion ban and his emphasis on leaving abortion laws to the states have been seen by some in the pro-life community as a significant shift away from his previous commitments. This perceived pivot has sparked backlash from pro-life leaders who feel that Trump is abandoning their cause in favor of political expediency. “Trump’s Abandonment of Pro-Lifers Is Now Complete,” wrote the editor of National Review, arguing that “overturning Roe was only the necessary first step of a much longer battle to protect the lives of the unborn.”
Back in 2016, then-candidate Trump said he was “pro-life” and went as far as suggesting “some sort of punishment” for women who abort their unborn children.
Similarly, Vance has recently positioned himself as a hardline pro-lifer, favoring a national abortion ban and comparing abortion to slavery.
Pivot in the 2024 Republican National Platform
It’s not just Trump and his running mate who have shifted their stance; the 2024 Republican National Platform also marks a significant change in the party’s approach to abortion and the value of unborn life. Unlike previous platforms that explicitly called for federal abortion limits, the new platform emphasizes a more decentralized approach.
The 2016 Republican platform was clear in its position:
The Constitution’s guarantee that no one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence’s proclamation that all are ‘endowed by their Creator’ with the inalienable right to life. Accordingly, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.
It also advocated for “a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth.”
In contrast, the 2024 platform leaves it up to the states to enact laws recognizing fetuses as persons under the Fourteenth Amendment. It focuses on opposing late-term abortions and promoting policies that support prenatal care, access to birth control (many methods of which act as abortifacients), and the use of IVF.
Radical Expansion of Abortion Access in Liberal States
Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, several liberal states have enacted radical measures to expand abortion access. States like California, Vermont, and Michigan have taken the extraordinary step of embedding abortion “rights” into their state constitutions, effectively ensuring these “rights” are protected regardless of any future federal policies or court rulings.
In addition to constitutional amendments, these and several other states, such as New York, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut, have pushed through legislation that dramatically increases access to abortion services and offers sweeping legal protections for both patients and providers. Some have also set up state-funded programs specifically designed to support women seeking abortions, including those from states with more restrictive laws.
Needless to say, this aggressive expansion not only undermines pro-life values, but also disregards the sanctity of life and the rights of the unborn.
