Abortion was rarely mentioned in RNC speeches despite a concerted effort by Republicans to repeal protections.
The Republican National Convention The speaker lineup was packed. leaders who have never been shy about voicing their anti-abortion views—yet this year’s speeches were completely silent on the topic of access to reproductive care.
In his 2020 RNC nomination acceptance speech, then-president Donald Trump popular anti-abortion ad legendssaid that Democrats support, “extreme late-term abortion of defenseless children up until the moment of BIRTH,” and added, “tonight, we proudly declare that all children, born and unborn, have the GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO LIFE.”
On the stage ThursdayTrump never mentioned abortion once.
And he’s not alone — over the past few months, Trump has set a standard tone for his party. mimic: In public, try to appear Be more moderate on abortion so as not to isolate most americans advocates for access in most or all cases. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, anti-abortion lawmakers and activists continue planning about what they can do with four more years of Republicans in the White House.
The RNC ran from Monday to Thursday last week, just days after Assassination attempt failed about Trump. Speakers came from across the country, including what the party described as “everyday” Americans and big name alike Kids Rock, Hulk Hoganand President of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White.
Representatives across the country who have long been staunch advocates for abortion bans in their states and nationwide chose not to use their precious minutes on stage at the RNC, where peak attracted more than 25 million viewers to discuss plans to push for future anti-abortion laws.
Arizona Senate Candidate Lake Kari—someone who has tried misrepresent her support for the state’s near-total ban on abortion during the Civil War, which she introduced is “a great law” that will “pave the way and set the tone for other states to follow”—without mentioning abortion. Gov. Greg Abbott—who signed in 2021 near-total ban on abortion into law and has speak he will “continue to work with the Texas legislature and all Texans to save every child from the ravages of abortion”—not to mention abortion. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee—the one who has A+ Rating from leading anti-abortionists group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Those Who Follow-Dobbs, honor that “our work can continue without being arbitrarily constrained by the Roe era”—not to mention abortion.
One of Trump’s leading men in Congress, the Speaker of the House Mike Johnsonalso followed the “mother is the word” abortion strategy at last week’s RNC. Johnson—who voted for a nationwide, one-time ban be blamed abortion, in part, for mass shootings, and comparing access to reproductive health care to “an American massacre”—mostly said instead it’s about God and immigration.
And then there’s the Ohio Senator. JD VanceWho officially accepted the nomination for Vice President on Wednesday night. In his speech, Vance drew on his upbringing and used his time to discuss international wars and the economy—in both cases misrepresentation What Vance fails to learn, notably, is that his past arsenal of anti-abortion policy positions.
Vance, like his running mate, has tried to tone down his rhetoric as he prepares for the 2024 election. Earlier this month, he speak He agrees with the recent Supreme Court ruling. denial of an effort to restrict access to the abortion drug mifepristone. He previously speak that he found “something sickening about a political movement that tells young women (and men) that killing their own children is liberating” and that thing He “definitely wants abortion to be illegal nationwide.”
