Much of President Donald Trump‘s success is due to the fact that he is the least ideological man to occupy the Oval Office in generations. Aside from his pet issues, namely illegal immigration and protectionist economic policies, where he has remained quite consistent, Trump is willing to compromise on just about anything.
Compromise and coalition-building is the name of the game in our two-party system, of course, but on the issue of abortion, many pro-lifers believe that preventing the systematic execution of a million unborn children per year is not an area where compromise can be found.
Trump’s stellar Supreme Court picks directly led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the greatest pro-life victory in a generation. The president’s lack of conviction on the issue, however, has been a consistent thorn in the side of the pro-life movement. After the GOP’s crushing losses in the 2022 midterm elections, Trump blamed the pro-life movement for the underperformance of his hand-picked candidates, claiming Republicans were “too rigid” on abortion and should adopt a more “moderate” stance. On Tuesday, the president once again angered pro-lifers by telling congressional Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment when negotiating the language of the GOP’s healthcare bill.
The Hyde Amendment, which prevents the federal funding of most abortions, is perhaps the last area in which the GOP should be willing to compromise with Democrats, who, of course, support the taxpayer funding of abortion on demand, at any point in a pregnancy. Only one in 10 Americans supports the radical Democratic platform on abortion, and 57% of voters oppose the taxpayer-funded killing of the unborn.
Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), who has an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, strongly criticized the president’s comments. “Hyde is the bottom rung of abortion restrictions (taxpayer funding) that even the weakest, least-principled R’s (and previously many Dems) could support. And yet, Trump is now calling on R’s to surrender on Hyde too,” he posted on X.
More notably, Trump ally House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who also enjoys an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony and has been an unwavering defender of the unborn predating his time in Congress, responded to Trump’s comments.
“We are not gonna change the standard that we’re not gonna use taxpayer funding for abortion,” the speaker said. “I’m just not gonna allow that to happen.”
ANTI-ABORTION ADVOCATES PUSH BACK AGAINST TRUMP CALL FOR ‘FLEXIBILITY’ ON HYDE AMENDMENT
Johnson has the unenviable job of herding a fractious caucus with a historically slim majority during an election year, and Republican congressmen will understandably be tempted to placate Trump in order to avoid receiving the Thomas Massie treatment for perceived “disloyalty.” But if there were ever a time to stand up to the boss, it would be now.
A positive to the president’s lack of principle is his ability to read the room and change course. If Johnson and congressional Republican leadership hold fast to their pro-life convictions, the president is likely to get in front of that parade, as opposed to attempting to cancel it. You wanted to lead the House Republican caucus, Mr. Speaker. Now is your chance to put that leadership on full display.
Brady Leonard (@bradyleonard) is a musician, political strategist, and host of The No Gimmicks Podcast.