Trump Makes Pro-Life a Regional Movement

What the history of Southern Democrats before civil rights can tell us about the future of the fight against abortion

Throughout this presidential campaign, Trump has consistently thrown pro-lifers under the bus. He’s usually avoided specifics, telling interviewers that the Supreme Court sent the issue back to the states and that is all that needs to be said. Last weekend, JD Vance took things one step further, announcing that Trump would veto any national abortion ban. Now, such an outcome would require 60 votes in the Senate, and be political suicide for the Republican Party anyway, so there’s about a 0% chance of such a bill getting to the president’s desk. Nonetheless, this statement has precipitated a nasty brawl on X, with pro-lifers saying this is the last straw, and other conservative influencers bringing out the knives against them.

It may seem strange for conservatives to be fighting over what Trump would do under a hypothetical that is certain not to happen, but this doesn’t mean that his move to the center doesn’t matter. Given Trump’s instincts and the way he’s running, it is worth thinking about whether and how it does, and what it means for the future of the pro-life movement.