Trump reiterates moderate abortion stance in GOP meeting

WASHINGTON—Former President Donald Trump met with congressional Republicans on Thursday to go over key positions and messaging points from the campaign trail. Although the former president said little about specific policies he would want Congress to advance if he won a second term, lawmakers leaving the meeting said Trump put a spotlight on abortion.

He encouraged House Republicans to soften their rhetoric about abortion legislation at the federal level.

“He talked about exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother,” said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. “He talked about, ‘It’s in the people’s hands,’ that we have to speak about abortion correctly—which is a message the party needs to hear. The country needs to hear that Republicans support life and support women.”

Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla, has introduced pro-life legislation to counteract President Joe Biden’s pro-abortion policies by prohibiting the White House from declaring access to abortion a public health emergency. He described Trump’s position on abortion as consistent with his past statements.

“You all know what he’s said in the past. He still believes that the Dobbs decision was the right decision for America and that the American people need to decide the issue, as they’re doing right now,” Hern said. Dobbs v. Jackson is the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned a constitutional right to abortion.

During the meeting with House Republicans, which lasted a little over an hour, Trump also spoke about the border, inflation, the war in Ukraine, the prosecutions against him, and more. He blasted his recent conviction on 34 felony counts of business fraud in New York. At one point, Republicans sang him Happy Birthday. Trump turns 78 on Friday. The former president also met with Senate Republicans later in the day.

“He was very positive, in great spirits: lots of laughter, lots of applause, lots of positive energy,” Mace said. She added that she believes Trump can solidify the party’s base at the polls, and she pointed to her own primary as evidence. Mace won the election on Tuesday, overcoming a Republican challenger with Trump’s endorsement.

“Seven million dollars were spent against us, and we won by 30 points,” Mace said. “When he went against me last time in ’22, I won by 8 [percent]. But when he was for me this time, I won by 30. There’s an appreciation for our relationship today and how supportive we are of one another.”