Donald Trump Launches Attack on Anti-Abortion Leader

Donald Trump has lashed out at fellow Republicans after they publicly disagreed with him on his abortion position.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump took aim at Marjorie Dannenfelser, a prominent anti-abortion activist, and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. Both criticized Trump for his announcement regarding abortion policy on Monday. Trump outlined that abortion policy should be left to each individual state following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, and did not endorse a federal limit on abortion—something some of his fellow Republicans have advocated for.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: "Senator Lindsey Graham and Marjorie Dannenfelser should study the 10th Amendment and States' Rights. When they do, they should proudly get on with helping Republicans to WIN ELECTIONS, rather than making it impossible for them to do so!"

Context

On Monday, Trump declined to endorse a federal limit on abortion procedures, something hard-line Republicans and anti-abortion groups had been hoping the presidential candidate would make part of his 2024 election campaign.

In a four-minute video post on Truth Social, Trump said it was "up to the states to do the right thing."

"States will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both. Whatever they decide must be the law of the land, or in this case the law of the state," he said.

"Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, some will be more conservative than others," he continued. "At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people. You must follow your heart, or in many cases your religion or faith.

"Do what's right for your family, and do what's right for yourself."

What We Know

Following his announcement, Dannenfelser, who is president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group—a right-wing non-profit organization that seeks to limit abortion—issued a statement disagreeing with Trump.

"We are deeply disappointed in President Trump's position. Unborn children and their mothers deserve national protections and national advocacy from the brutality of the abortion industry," Dannenfelser said in the statement. "The Dobbs decision clearly allows both states and Congress to act. Saying the issue is 'back to the states' cedes the national debate to the Democrats who are working relentlessly to enact legislation mandating abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy. If successful, they will wipe out states' rights."

Newsweek has contacted the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group for comment via email outside of normal working hours.

Trump was also criticized by longtime ally Graham, who said: "The pro-life movement, I told the president, is not about geography—it's about the child. If you believe the pro-life movement is about the well-being of the child, you shouldn't be limited by geography."

Views

Graham and Dannenfelser are not the only Republicans to take issue with Trump's position. Former Vice President Mike Pence, a noted evangelical, wrote on X: "President Trump's retreat on the Right to Life is a slap in the face to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020."

Democrats have naturally criticized Trump for his views, albeit not for the same reasons as Republicans. President Joe Biden posted to X to say if reelected in November, his administration would see Roe v. Wade restored.

In a video statement, Biden said: "All across the country, women are being turned away from emergency rooms, or being forced to travel hundreds of miles, or ask a judge to get the basic care they badly need. That's Donald Trump's vision for this country?"

Correction 4/9/24, 8:40 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a correction to Marjorie Dannenfelser's name.