As Bonchie covered last Friday, it's a moment that has many a social conservative throwing their hands up in the air in frustration, but perhaps conservatives shouldn't be as up in arms as many are: 

All the vast majority of pro-lifers are looking for is a "do-no-harm" commitment. Republicans shouldn't be expected to run headlong into a brick wall politically, but they also shouldn't help Democrats push the ball down the field with misguided attempts at pandering. Trump gave Republican voters the confidence that he's not going to do that with his announcement. That's all that needed to happen, and now it has. With that possible roadblock out of the way, it's full speed ahead among GOP voters to defeat Kamala Harris in November.

But this hasn't pleased everyone. As reported by The Hill, conservative pro-life figures and groups have found Trump's abortion stances lacking, particularly in saying they should relax about abortion if they want to win elections: 

Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to prioritize winning elections, even if it means softening their position on abortion. But his approach risks alienating social conservatives without the benefit of winning over more moderate voters. 

“The advice we’ve always given to clients on this issue is do not stand in the middle of the road, because you’ll get hit by traffic going both ways,” said Chuck Coughlin, an Arizona-based GOP consultant.

Trump is clearly not taking that piece of advice, and it's yet to be seen whether that works for him. He is, however, following his own guiding star on reproductive issues. His stance on in vitro fertilization (IVF) is one that would see costs covered by the government if he's elected. This hasn't sat well with some, as there are pro-life activists who see IVF as another form of abortion, despite the fact that a life is created when it's successful: 

Lila Rose, a prominent anti-abortion activist, has argued Trump’s positions on reproductive rights run counter to how he governed during his first term. She cited his criticism of certain state-level abortion bans as too strict, changes to the GOP platform on abortion and his support for taxpayer-funded IVF. 

“This has killed the enthusiasm of Trump’s own base,” Rose posted on the social platform X, urging Trump to change course and take advantage of the momentum among conservatives from his opposition to the Florida ballot measure.

Meanwhile, other Republicans are applauding him: 

“President Trump is pro-parents, pro-babies, and pro-family and his strong pro-life policies reflect that. His support for protecting and expanding IVF coverage for families should be applauded by the pro-life community as it will further promote the culture of life,” said Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House GOP conference, in a statement provided by the Trump campaign. 

It's an interesting window into the Republican Party. While the Democrats are bound to get as extreme on the issue of abortion as they're allowed, Republicans have different views about nuances and ideas about where lines should be drawn. Even the issue of IVF is contentious, particularly among Catholics. 

But there are two things to consider here. 

For one, the goal isn't figuring out where Trump's stance on abortion falls. The goal is figuring out where Trump stands on it not mattering what he thinks. The goal is to have the federal government be barred from making pretty much any decision about abortion, IVF, or anything surrounding reproduction. This is, and should remain, a state-level issue. 

Trump's main job should be confirming and appointing judges who understand that, ultimately, bureaucrats in DC should have no say about what happens in the state of Wisconsin, Florida, or Texas. State-level decision-making is how this government was intended to run, and state-level decision-making is the best way to decide where these lines should be drawn. So long as Dobbs stands, that's how it will largely remain. 

Ultimately, Trump could be all about abortion rights for all I care, but so long as he understands that it's not his decision to make, then it really doesn't matter what he thinks. Given his penchant for selecting judges who seem to get that, I'm not sure we have too much to worry about. 

What I do know is that if elected, Kamala Harris will take an extreme stance on abortion and work to make her worldview a reality. In light of that, Trump's stances seem like a molehill compared to that mountain.