Pro-lifers cringe over Trump’s ‘deafening’ silence on abortion ruling

During last week’s private meeting in New York City, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reassured evangelical leaders about his plan to appoint a conservative, pro-life judge to the Supreme Court if elected.

But despite his self-professed pro-life position, Trump has yet to speak publicly about Monday’s Supreme Court ruling that overturned a Texas abortion law. The case was seen as a major victory for pro-abortion advocates.

Trump’s silence—with not even one tweet from the prolific tweeter—baffled and dismayed some pro-lifers and conservatives.

“The silence is deafening,” said Jeannie Mancini, president of the March for Life.

The Texas law required abortion facilities to meet ambulatory surgical center standards and mandated abortionists have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. After Texas passed its regulations, other Republican-led states followed suit. Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate argued the ruling was the most important on abortion in more than 20 years.

Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, voiced her approval soon after the ruling.

“SCOTUS’s decision is a victory for women in Texas and across America,” she tweeted. “Safe abortion should be a right⎯not just on paper, but in reality.”

By contrast, Trump spent Monday afternoon tweeting about Clinton’s campaign and Brexit: “Hillary Clinton is not a change agent, just the same old status quo! She is spending a fortune, I am spending very little. Close in polls!”

Behind the scenes, Trump sent a memo to some pro-life groups reaffirming his commitment to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court.

The memo’s talking points noted Trump already released the names of 11 potential Supreme Court justices who have been “routinely praised” as conservatives, will uphold the Constitution, and check executive overreach.

Penny Nance, president of the pro-life Christian policy group Concerned Women for America, received the written assurance from Trump’s camp. She said it was encouraging, but she wanted more.

“He should have said something publicly,” she said. “He has said he’s pro-life. I’m working to understand what that means.”

Some conservative pundits have spoken more harshly about Trump’s silence. Christian Conservative Erick Erickson, who vowed never to vote for Trump, criticized the candidate in an op-ed on theresurgent.com.

“Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued a decision propping up the abortion industry in America …” he wrote. “And Donald Trump, supposed champion of the unborn, said nothing.”

But not all pro-lifers are disappointed with Trump’s response—or lack of one. Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, attended the New York meeting with Trump last week. He said he isn’t bothered by Trump’s silence because he is confident Trump will follow through on his promise to appoint a conservative Supreme Court justice.

“I’m more angry at the culprit in the situation⎯the Supreme Court⎯than the guy that’s going to end up replacing the Supreme Court justices,” he said.

Echoing the sentiment expressed by other pro-life leaders, Nance said Trump has her vote as the most pro-life presidential candidate in the race, but in order to endorse him, she wants to see more evidence of his pro-life commitment. Although they don’t agree with him on everything, some pro-lifers are clinging to Trump’s Supreme Court appointment promises to justify supporting him.

“This election will end up being an election of the Supreme Court,” Mancini said. “If I were in his shoes right now I’d be doing everything possible to win conservative friends. This would have been an easy way to do that.”