Trump should move ahead with federal abortion bans

President Biden, Vice President Harris and their allies in Congress support federal legislation that is deceptively named the Women’s Health Protection Act. That wolf in sheep’s clothing would override every state limit on abortion and every conscience protection for doctors and nurses whose religious or personal beliefs preclude them from participating in the performance of an abortion.

Former President Donald Trump, a champion for life when he was president, now argues that the abortion issue should be left to the states. That approach was not appropriate in dealing with slavery and it is not the right way to address abortion. Slavery and the taking of innocent human life are both crimes against humanity. The first responsibility of every government official – federal, state or local – is to defend the life and dignity of every human being. 

On the wall outside my office here in Washington, D.C. we display a profound statement by the great black educator, author and orator Booker T. Washington: “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good just because it’s accepted by a majority.”

We need leaders with the principled vision of Booker T. Washington to stand up today and say that human life is precious and worthy of protection – both inside and outside the womb.

The American people don’t support the extreme abortion position of Biden and Harris. In 2016, Trump called out Hillary Clinton’s extreme position on abortion during a nationally televised debate. Many analysts believe the contrast Trump drew with Clinton was critical to his victories in some battleground states.  Biden and Harris are just as extreme as Clinton and Trump shouldn’t hesitate to say so.

Governors, senators and House members who confidently defended their pro-life positions and pointed out the extreme views of their opponents earned the respect and support of voters during the 2022 elections that took place after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision on abortion. Candidates who tried to duck the issue or articulated their positions poorly were frequently defeated.

As president, Trump played a crucial role in allowing America to protect the fundamental right to life. Biden and Harris will attack him for that principled stand, regardless of what Trump now says about federal legislation. Trump should not retreat, but proudly defend his achievement and call out Biden and Harris as the extremists – just as he did so convincingly against Hillary Clinton.