Donald Trump defended his stance on abortion in a wild video address to an evangelical group—who just last week warned the former president that he needs to “embrace” the conservative position of a national ban on the medical procedures if he wants a shot at the 2024 presidency.
Trump began his speech Saturday night to the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition by subtly bragging that it was his Supreme Court justices–Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett–who overturned Roe in the first place.
“I appointed over 300 judges to fill the federal bench with pro-constitution warriors who interpret the laws as written,” Trump said.
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“I faced down vile attacks to confirm our three great Supreme Court justices... Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen. They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years.”
Trump later added that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “right now is under siege by the radical left,” after questionable financial disclosures have forced calls for a Justice Department investigation.
Things got heated on Thursday when Trump was named by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America organization president Majorie Dannenfelser, who condemned his stance as “morally indefensible” after claiming abortion “is an issue that should be decided at the state level,” instead of the national ban.
But fighting back in his pre-recorded speech, Trump listed off a number of his so-called achievements to protect “religious liberty“ and “the unborn.” He also called himself the “most pro-life president in American history.”
In one particularly deranged moment, Trump falsely claimed that Democratic politicians support the practice of executing babies after they’ve been born: “I will continue to stand strong against the extreme late-term abortionists, the Democrat party, who believe in abortion on demand in the ninth month of pregnancy, and even executing babies after birth. Beyond birth, executing the baby. This is where we’ve come and it’s so sad to see.”
“I will immediately sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, transgender insanity and other inappropriate racial, sexual or political content on our content,” Trump added, claiming it was time to “bring back God” to schools and public squares.
The promotion of sex and gender transition at any age will be banned under a Trump administration, while transgender athletes will be banned from sport: “I will keep men out of women’s sports, that’s a simple one.”
According to the Associated Press, Trump drew applause from the 1000-strong crowd after noting he was the first president to attend the annual March for Life abortion opposition rally and by relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Trump wasn’t the only Republican White House hopeful courting the conservatives, however. The influential event is known to be the unofficial start of the state’s 2024 presidential campaign.
While Trump spoke via video, former Vice President Mike Pence addressed the group in person at the event in Clive, Iowa.
Other 2024 contenders attended and spoke, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is rumored to be running in 2024, but has not yet confirmed, was not in attendance.
