First appeared on FOX: Former President Trump has shifted some of his abortion policies to appeal to independents and disillusioned Democrats, but this could alienate the pro-life base that helped him win the 2016 presidential election. But growing support from centrist voters could make up for that.
“The pro-life vote can't be taken away by anyone,” Lila Rose, founder of the leading pro-life group Live Action, told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday. “It has to be earned.”
Rose stirred controversy on Monday when he reposted a clip from a recent “Meet the Press” interview with Sen. J.D. Vance, in which Rose asserted that a Trump-Vance administration would likely veto federal abortion bans.
“You can't get the pro-life vote if you don't support pro-life principles,” Rose said in the post.
JD Vance vows that Trump will not enforce federal abortion ban and will veto it if it reaches his desk
Asked about the post, Rose said she was not voting for Trump at this time and that she might risk alienating others in the pro-life movement, though she said she hopes to be able to vote for Trump in November.
“We're over two months away from the election, but as we all know, Mr. Trump has changed his position in the past and I believe he is shifting again to a pro-abortion stance,” Rose said. “Thankfully, the election is not today, so Mr. Trump has two months to change his stance.”
“I hope that Trump changes course,” Rose said. “I think what he's doing is politically stupid and morally wrong. I don't think he's winning over pro-lifers. Kamala Harris rallied her base at the Democratic National Convention by cheering on the abortion industry all week, and then President Trump betrays her base and tries to cheer on Kamala's base.”
Rep. Maxine Waters avoids questions about controversial abortion procedures
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former President Trump shake hands during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on August 23, 2024. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
In the election, Trump has countered Democratic attacks by saying he would leave abortion rights up to the states, as determined by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and opposes a federal ban on abortion. Republicans also abandoned their longstanding position on abortion restrictions in July, but Trump remains opposed to late-term abortions.
“President Trump has consistently supported states' rights to make abortion decisions and has made it clear that he will not sign a federal ban if he returns to the White House,” Caroline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump-Vance campaign, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “President Trump also supports universal access to contraception and IVF. In contrast, Kamala Harris and the Democrats are fundamentally out of step with the majority of Americans in their support for abortion up to birth and for taxpayer funding.”
Newsom dodges Harris question on price controls, says 'no details'
Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris (Getty Images)
But Rose says those who disagree about supporting a federal ban are the very problem, because “the political objective of the pro-life movement is to restrict abortion to save lives.”
“His policies and rhetoric have become increasingly pro-abortion, which should confuse and concern the pro-life movement,” she said.
To win her vote, she said, Trump would need to defend pro-life laws in Florida and oppose the Fourth Amendment, which supports abortion rights.
On Friday, President Trump angered anti-abortion activists by posting on his Truth Social platform that “my administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights,” and suggested he would not restrict access to prescription abortions.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Meanwhile, Trump continues to gain support among independents and former Democrats. On Sunday, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. endorsed Trump, followed a day later by former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Both politicians are now part of Trump's “transition team,” according to his campaign.
