Could abortion become an important issue in the Republican presidential primaries? The latest clash between former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was centered on the topic. The former president commented on the issue earlier this week, raising some hackles among pro-life conservatives. However, if abortion becomes a prominent issue during primary season, it could be a mark against Trump, who appears less willing to pursue strict enough measures to curtail the procedure.
During an interview with The Messenger, Trump sounded off on a variety of topics, including election fraud, DeSantis, and abortion. In April, Gov. DeSantis signed a bill that would ban abortions beyond six weeks. It includes exceptions for rape and incest. The former president indicated that the law might be “too harsh,” saying:
“[DeSantis] has to do what he has to do. If you look at what DeSantis did, a lot of people don’t even know if he knew what he was doing. But he signed six weeks, and many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh.”
During a press conference on Tuesday, DeSantis fired back, arguing that most pro-lifers supported the measure.
“Protecting an unborn child when there’s a detectable heartbeat is something that almost 99% of pro-lifers support. It’s something that other states like Iowa, under Gov. Kim Reynolds, have enacted.
“As a Florida resident, you know, he didn’t give an answer about, ‘Would you have signed the heartbeat bill that Florida did, that had all the exceptions that people talk about?’”
It’s a good question considering that during his conversation with The Messenger, Trump did not explain what type of abortion policy he would support. But DeSantis was not the only one to address the former president’s comments.
Lila Rose, president and founder of pro-life organization Live Action, posted a tweet taking Trump to task for “abandoning pro-lifers.” She wrote:
Trump is embarrassing himself by abandoning pro-life voters and the children we are fighting for. Florida and Gov DeSantis should be applauded for protecting life. If President Trump is done with fighting for life, pro-life voters should be done with him.
Trump is embarrassing himself by abandoning pro-life voters and the children we are fighting for. Florida and Gov DeSantis should be applauded for protecting life. If President Trump is done with fighting for life, pro-life voters should be done with him. https://t.co/u0gaFsrQjS
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) May 15, 2023
In another tweet, Rose praised DeSantis for his opposition to abortion:
By passing abortion restrictions and unapologetically standing up to those who criticize his pro-life position, DeSantis is offering leadership and clarity while other candidates are offering obsfucation [sic] and cowardice.
By passing abortion restrictions and unapologetically standing up to those who criticize his pro-life position, DeSantis is offering leadership and clarity while other candidates are offering obsfucation and cowardice. https://t.co/vWgpLOGM1j
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) May 16, 2023
Former Vice President Mike Pence also weighed in on the issue. He was asked about the debate during a Tuesday event in Concord, New Hampshire, and replied:
“For my part, I disagree with President Trump about the heartbeat bill. I truly do believe that we ought to advance the cause of life at the state level, but I also want to say, I also believe there is a role at the federal level to advance the sanctity of life.”
Apparently, Trump was aware of the criticism and responded in a Wednesday post on Truth Social. He patted himself on the back for ending Roe v. Wade. He wrote:
After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the “shock” of everyone, and for the first time put the Pro-Life movement in a strong negotiating position over the Radicals that are willing to kill babies even into their 9th month, and beyond. Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!
So, Trump and DeSantis are going back and forth about abortion.
How much do y'all think abortion will impact the GOP primaries? pic.twitter.com/9LZW50AdBo
— Jeff Charles, Agent of Chaos🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) May 18, 2023
Abortion had a significant impact on the 2022 midterm elections and some have attributed the lack of a red wave to the elimination of Roe v. Wade. But with DeSantis getting ever so closer to announcing his candidacy, it is not beyond the stretch of the imagination to speculate that abortion could also be a hot topic during the primaries.
Trump’s ambiguous stance on abortion laws may have consequences for his primary campaign against Ron DeSantis. While Trump enjoys significant support from conservative voters, his wavering position on this critical issue could alienate pro-life supporters who view abortion as a crucial topic. By criticizing DeSantis’s abortion ban and indirectly questioning his understanding of the issue, Trump risks losing the backing of influential pro-life groups, potentially affecting his overall campaign momentum.
DeSantis undoubtedly scored some political points by signing the bill in April and defending it against Trump’s comments earlier this week. It seems clear his stance on abortion is popular among the conservative base. While some Republican voters might have a more moderate pro-life stance, it is unlikely that the issue would harm his chances of securing the nomination.
On the other hand, Trump is responsible for the fact that DeSantis was able to sign such a bill in the first place. Without his Supreme Court appointments, Roe v. Wade would still be the law of the land. There is no way to argue that the former president is the reason why states are able to make their own policy decisions about the procedure. Indeed, his team would be wise to continue hammering that point home if abortion becomes a more prominent topic during primary season.
However, Trump will probably have to lay out a less ambiguous policy position if he wants the base to trust him on the issue. He will probably have to discuss where he stands on a potential federal abortion ban if he wants to differentiate himself from Gov. DeSantis.
To sum it up, as the 2024 elections draw nearer, Donald Trump’s stance on abortion laws has become a subject of scrutiny. While his communication style has often been characterized by blunt remarks, his vagueness on the issue of abortion raises concerns among pro-life supporters.
In his potential primary campaign against Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s criticism of the Florida abortion ban could undermine his standing among pro-life voters if he doesn’t clarify his position. The impact of Trump’s position on abortion within the primary campaign remains to be seen, but it is clear that his stance on this critical issue may influence his overall candidacy and support base.
