President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance electrified anti-abortion activists at the March for Life on Friday, indicating in their speeches that the Justice Department would stop prosecuting protesters who block access to reproductive health clinics. The annual rally in Washington, D.C., which drew thousands to the National Mall, marked a triumphant moment for a movement that has seen Roe v. Wade overturned and a wave of new abortion restrictions over the past year.
“No longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists – elderly, grandparents, or anybody else – in prison,” Vance declared to raucous cheers, referring to recent federal prosecutions under the Clinton-era Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. “It stopped on Monday, and we’re not gonna let it come back to this country.”
Trump, in a pre-recorded address that aired on giant screens, trumpeted his decision the day before to pardon several activists convicted of violating the FACE Act by blockading clinics. “I’m releasing the Christians,” the president proclaimed, framing it as a blow against religious persecution.
Key Policy Questions Linger
However, despite the jubilant mood, Trump and Vance steered clear of the more sweeping anti-abortion policies many activists are now pushing for. Neither mentioned efforts to revive a 19th-century anti-vice law that could effectively ban abortion nationwide. They also stayed silent on the Mexico City policy, also known as the “global gag rule”, which past Republican presidents have used to block foreign aid to organizations that even mention abortion.
The lack of action from Trump on the Mexico City policy has puzzled abortion rights supporters.
Still, the event had the feel of a Trump rally, with vendors hawking MAGA hats and “FIGHT…FIGHT…FIGHT!” shirts bearing the ex-president’s visage. Trump and Vance drew far bigger roars than any other speaker or talking point.
The March for Life, long a tentpole of the anti-abortion movement, has increasingly morphed into a platform for ambitious Republicans to prove their conservative bona fides and court a powerful voting bloc. Other speakers included Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential Trump rival for the 2024 GOP nomination.
A New Era for Abortion Battles
Trump and Vance’s announcements signal a major tactical shift in how the federal government will approach the clash between anti-abortion activists and supporters of reproductive rights. Under past Democratic and Republican administrations, the Justice Department has enforced the FACE Act to ensure clinics can continue to operate in the face of blockades and civil disobedience.
- Clinton signed the FACE Act in 1994 in response to a spate of violence and disruptions at clinics.
- The law prohibits the use of force, threats or obstruction to “injure, intimidate or interfere” with someone seeking reproductive health services.
Anti-abortion activists have long chafed at the FACE Act’s restrictions. With Roe struck down and Republicans back in power, many see an opportunity to unleash more aggressive tactics without fear of prosecution. Vance’s vow suggests protesters will have much freer rein to physically impede access to the dwindling number of clinics.
The Mexico City policy, by contrast, has been a political football between Democratic and Republican administrations.
– Ronald Reagan first instituted it in 1984
Every Republican president since then has enforced the rule, while every Democratic one has rescinded it. Many reproductive rights advocates expected Trump to quickly bring it back given his past statements and his close ties to evangelical leaders. But so far, he has held off, keeping overseas family planning funds flowing for now.
Unpacking the Politics
Trump’s slow-walking of key anti-abortion priorities may reflect a fear of overreach after a midterm backlash and a desire to avoid inflaming what will already be a hotly controversial presidential race. While the March for Life’s hardcore activists demand maximalist policies, most Americans support at least some abortion access. Dramatic moves like enforcing a national ban could galvanize liberal turnout.
At the same time, Trump can ill afford to look hesitant or squishy on abortion, given the evangelical right’s centrality to his coalition and the eagerness of potential primary foes to outflank him. His March for Life speech threaded that needle, delivering enough red meat to keep activists on board without making specific policy commitments.
As the 2024 race heats up, all Republican contenders will face pressure to prove their anti-abortion mettle. Those jousting appearances at the March for Life podium may prove just a prelude to the sweeping promises and purity tests to come on the campaign trail. The GOP’s uneasy post-Roe balancing act is only getting started.
