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Headline Roundup April 9th, 2024

Trump's Abortion Statement Sparks Critiques From Liberals, Conservatives

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Voices across the political spectrum are analyzing former President Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding abortion legislation.

“Trump’s Coalition”: A writer in Vox (Left bias) cast doubt on Trump’s statement, arguing that regardless of Trump’s stated position on abortion, there are “powerful groups within Trump’s coalition — both his base of supporters and his stable of former and current advisers — who do care a lot about abortion.” Despite Trump’s assurances, the writer concluded these groups are “likely to have an outsize influence on policy in a second Trump term, in part because Trump has few social policy positions of his own.”

“Cheap Date”: Matt Lewis (Center bias) stated that Trump “delivered a clear message to anti-abortion conservatives: The party’s over. Don’t count on getting anything else from me.” The pushback from some right-rated voices will not dissuade Trump, Lewis concluded, since “social conservatives were always a cheap date. Trump knows that they will never abandon him, regardless of what he says or does.”

“Overwrought Fear”: The National Review Editorial Board (Right bias) argued that Trump is “reflecting his party’s overwrought fear of pro-choice voters,” adding, “during the vaunted pro-choice backlash of the past two years, not one pro-life senator or governor has lost his office in an election.” Pushing back on claims that abortion has hurt Republicans politically, the board concluded, “it is also true that Trump himself and his various manias have cost Republicans elections. If it happens again, we can be sure he will blame it on pro-lifers.”

Featured Coverage of this Story

Trump may sound moderate on abortion. The groups setting his agenda definitely aren’t.
 Trump may sound moderate on abortion. The groups setting his agenda definitely aren’t.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Opinion

As president, Trump delivered for anti-abortion voters in the biggest way possible by appointing the three Supreme Court justices who cast the deciding votes to overturn Roe v. Wade.

This year, however, the man who once proudly proclaimed himself “the most pro-life president in American history” has been wishy-washy on the subject as he campaigns, no doubt aware that pro-abortion-rights candidates and measures have been consistently winning since Roe fell.

In March, Trump voiced his potential support for a 15-week federal ban on the procedure. But on Monday, he said...

Open on Vox
Anti-Abortion Voters Should Have Dumped Trump When They Had the Chance
Anti-Abortion Voters Should Have Dumped Trump When They Had the Chance

Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty Images

Opinion

On Monday, Donald Trump delivered a clear message to anti-abortion conservatives: The party’s over. Don’t count on getting anything else from me.

Truth be told, the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was a big deal, and Trump is still claiming credit for getting it done. But overturning Roe did not make abortion go away; the Dobbs v. Jackson decision sent the abortion issue back to the states. And on Monday, Trump made it clear that, if he has anything to say about it, that’s where the issue will stay.

...
Open on Matt Lewis
Trump’s Abortion Hedge
Trump’s Abortion Hedge

Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Opinion

First, the good news: Donald Trump’s Monday-morning statement on abortion reminded pro-lifers that he could turn up the rhetorical heat on Democrats on these issues, as he did in 2016 debates. “Democrats are the radical ones on this position because they support abortion up to and even beyond the ninth month,” he said, “the concept of having an abortion in the later months and even execution after birth.” He is right that Democrats almost uniformly oppose any legal protection for unborn children at any stage of pregnancy, and right as...

Open on National Review (Opinion)

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