It seems to me at least a small miracle that Donald Trump has been the most pro-life president in my lifetime. It is well documented that back in 1999, Trump pronounced himself “very pro-choice.” During the 2016 election cycle, Christians could certainly be forgiven for lacking confidence that Trump would vigorously defend the lives of the unborn.
Yet Trump did just that.
Most of the news related to abortion has centered around Trump’s considerable influence on the Supreme Court. Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and most recently Amy Coney Barrett were nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate. All three justices are thought to be willing to challenge the constitutional basis for the “right” to an abortion enshrined by the execrable Roe v. Wade decision.
But Trump’s pro-life position extended far beyond the Supreme Court.
You can hardly have a discussion about abortion in America without mentioning Planned Parenthood. (Recommend PragerU video: “What You Need to Know About Planned Parenthood”) Planned Parenthood claims to be one of the nation’s leading women’s health care providers. But in reality, PP is an organization almost entirely dedicated to the destruction of unborn babies. Moreover, Planned Parenthood does not simply provide abortions; they actively encourage them. Lila Rose, the president of Live Action quips, “Planned Parenthood does not help people plan for parenthood, it helps people escape it.”
Planned Parenthood performs more than 1/3 of all abortions nationwide – more than 345,000 abortions during the 2017-2018 fiscal year. To make matters worse, PP received $616.8 million dollars in taxpayer support in 2018. (Roughly 40% of PP’s budget comes from the federal government.) Federal money pours into PP’s coffers despite the famous Hyde Amendment which forbids the Federal Government from allocating taxpayer money for abortions. PP avoids this prohibition by claiming that these funds are instead used for non-abortion services such as cancer screenings. Indeed, PP does provide such services, but this is clearly not their wheelhouse. They account for less than 2% of the nation’s cancer screenings. In truth, Planned Parenthood is a one trick pony: abortion on demand.
Donald Trump effectively used his regulatory power as chief executive to prevent taxpayer funds from going to Planned Parenthood. Louis Jacobson of Politifact writes, “Opponents of abortion chalked up a significant victory in 2019 with the enactment of a federal regulation to prevent a major type of federal funding (Title X funding) from reaching entities that provide abortion services.” Jacobson also writes, “On another front, the Trump administration made progress targeting the other major source of government funding for Planned Parenthood: Medicaid…The administration has encouraged states to seek permission to bar Planned Parenthood from participating in their state Medicaid programs.”
Trump’s pro-life advocacy extended into arenas which didn’t often make the front pages. For instance, the Trump administration ended federal funding for the United Nations Population Fund, which supports coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization.
In 2017, Trump reinstated the “Mexico City Policy.” This policy, first announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, “required nongovernmental organizations to agree as a condition of their receipt of Federal funds that such organizations would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.” This policy has been enforced during all subsequent Republican administrations but has been rescinded by every Democratic administration.
According to Becket Adams of the Washington Examiner, the Trump administration has also worked through the Office of Civil Rights to “protect healthcare workers from being pressured into performing abortive services in violation of their religious beliefs.”
Each year, pro-life activists and supporters gather in the nation’s capital for the “March for Life.” The March is held to celebrate the gift of life and mourn the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. Donald Trump in 2017 became the first president to publicly participate in the March for Life.
During the 2020 Republican National Convention, Trump thundered, “Joe Biden claims he has empathy for the vulnerable. Yet the party he leads supports the extreme late-term abortion of defenseless babies right up until the moment of birth. Democrat leaders talk about moral decency, but they have no problem with stopping a baby’s beating heart in the ninth month of pregnancy. Democrat politicians refuse to protect innocent life, and then they lecture us about morality and saving America’s soul? Tonight, we proudly declare that all children, born and unborn, have a God-given right to life.”
Donald Trump is obviously no ordinary politician. As he barnstormed across the nation in 2020 seeking a second term, no one doubted that this was a man who fully intended to keep his promises. Trump did more to advance the pro-life movement than any president in history. We should reflect on that incredible statement. A coarse, brash New York real estate tycoon who at one time proclaimed himself “very pro-choice,” has spoken more courageously and acted more aggressively to oppose abortion that any other president.
There is a severe lesson here: many Christians were squeamish about voting for Trump because they simply didn’t like him personally. Such criticisms are not unwarranted. Trump can be proud, petty, and petulant. Yet his accomplishments in protecting the lives of unborn children are unparalleled.
There may be a glorious day in the not-so-distant future when the Supreme Court – fortified by Trump’s appointees – finally strikes down Roe v. Wade. Indeed, on December 1st, 2021, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. According to Carrie Severino, the Dobbs case hinges on “the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that limits abortions after 15 weeks gestation with exceptions for health emergencies and fetal abnormalities.” The Court’s decision will likely be announced this summer.
Should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, it would represent a monumental victory for the pro-life movement. While this outcome would not end the practice of abortion, it would put the issue back where it belongs, in the legislative sphere, where the elected representatives of the people could decide whether or not to allow abortions. Many conservative states are prepared to place substantial restrictions on the practice of abortion. These changes would save many unborn lives which are precious in God’s eyes.
Such a triumph would be the culmination of the efforts of countless Christians active in the pro-life movement. They have poured their time and resources into crisis pregnancy centers offering vital counseling and support for women and families who face unplanned pregnancies. Many followers of Jesus have engaged in gracious conversations with their friends, neighbors and co-workers, gently persuading people that life is a gift from God and well worth protecting. Such conversations are not easy and require courage.
Yet other Christians have had the immense fortitude to step into the furnace of public life – as lawyers and legislators – where they’ve advocated for the fundamental right of life for the unborn. These Christians face almost unbelievable hatred and resistance from the very dark forces which have arrayed themselves against God’s truth. The advocacy of the modern pro-life movement has close parallels with the evangelical anti-slavery movement led by William Wilberforce. Both have paid a very heavy price for their loyalty to Jesus, enduring bitter personal attacks and having slanderous lies hurled against them.
I do not pretend to know the state of Donald Trump’s soul before Almighty God, but I would without reservation include him in the category of people courageously fighting in the public realm on behalf of unborn children. Trump is a confounding figure and I make no attempt to defend all of his words or actions. Nonetheless, I find it astonishing that this man has faithfully carried the banner of the pro-life movement despite almost unbelievable opprobrium from the media and the political left.
One point deserved special attention. Some Christians believe that we should limit our pro-life advocacy to the personal level: working to change the hearts and minds of the people around us. I would heartily agree that this is a vital role which every Christian should embrace. There should be no doubt, however, that God also calls his followers to a much more difficult task: to work in the public, political sphere. We have a sacred duty to implement God’s justice through the laws and institutions which govern our society. William Wilberforce is an amazing example of one who undertook this holy endeavor. Wilberforce and his evangelical Christian allies quite literally changed the world. In no small measure, they instituted the kingdom of God “on earth as it is in heaven.”
We should likewise be immensely grateful to all those who are willing to step into the public arena on behalf of unborn children. The forces of darkness are powerful and quite eager to bring harm to those who challenge their hegemony. Christians who do step forward are often badly wounded. One day God will richly reward their sacrifices.
When I think of those fighting in the public sphere, I’m reminded of the prophet Jeremiah. God have Jeremiah the unenviable duty of confronting the people of Judah with their sin and warning them about God’s impending judgement. Jeremiah’s message was not well received. He was beaten and put in stocks; his life was often threatened. He was imprisoned and even thrown into the bottom of a well. At one point, Jeremiah cried out, “I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me…the word of the LORD has brought me insult and reproach all day long.”
Those working in the pro-life community often face similar scorn. They should take heart and press on, remembering these words: “But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced…O LORD Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.”
