GOP presidential hopefuls clash over abortion policy

Former President Donald Trump took on his leading rival for the Republican presidential nomination during a Sunday interview with Meet the Press. When asked about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ heartbeat law, which protects children from abortion after six weeks in the womb, Trump called the measure “a terrible thing and a terrible mistake.” The former president also said that Republicans will lose votes if they don’t allow loopholes for abortion in cases of rape, incest, and for the mother’s health. Trump stayed mum on his opinion about federal legislation to protect unborn children and said he could “live with” states implementing their own pro-life laws.

How are other Republican primary candidates responding? Former Vice President Mike Pence released a statement to The New York Times on Sunday morning, saying Trump “continues to walk away from the pro-life legacy of our administration.” DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo said Trump’s “compromising with Democrats” already resulted in $7 trillion in new debt, an unfinished border wall, and federal soft-on-crime legislation.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in WORLD Magazine on the history and effectiveness of the pro-life movement.