Now the presumptive GOP presidential candidate, Donald Trump is moving fast to shore up his support among conservatives, making pro-life advocates his first target with the hiring of a policy director well known and admired in the anti-abortion movement.
According to those groups, Trump hired long-time conservative congressional aide John Mashburn, who has advised noted pro-life lawmakers including the late Sen. Jesse Helms, former Senate Republican leader Trent Lott and current North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis.
“If I were running for president, I would want John Mashburn as a top advisor, too,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a national pro-life organization. In a statement to Trump, she added, “If elected, no doubt John Mashburn will serve you well as you fulfill your campaign promises to defund Planned Parenthood, advance and sign into law the popular Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, and appoint Justices to the bench who will protect and defend the Constitution.”
Donald Trump hires Pro Life John Mashburn who will work to defund Planned Parenthood & advance & sign into law… https://t.co/HOPcALFPSX
— Donna L. Cook (@DonnaCook5) May 4, 2016
“Yes he is a rock solid pro-lifer and former Helms staffer. Someone we can work with,” added Penny Nance, president and CEO of Concerned Women for America.
Longtime conservative lobbyist Dennis Stephens also told Secrets, “The Mashburn hire and the strong tax cut plan and the strong border protection and national security plan prove Donald Trump is pulling the Reagan Coalition together. He is going to be a very effective General election candidate.”
Trump is eager to unify the Republican Party behind him after a nasty primary race. After winning Indiana’s primary in blockbuster fashion, he reached to to both Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich with kind words, even suggesting a Trump-Kasich ticket.
But he also realizes the need to harden the support of the conservative base behind his candidacy and the Mashburn hire appears to have worked to at least calm concerns in the pro-life community about his evolving views.
Over the years, he has gone from being “very pro-choice” to suggesting recently that women should be punished for having illegal abortions, a position the shocked the pro-life movement and one he pulled back.
Dannenfelser’s positive comments about Mashburn joining Trump represent a warming of relations of sorts. After Trump’s short-lived call for punishment, she said, “As a convert to the pro-life movement, Mr. Trump sees the reality of the horror of abortion — the destruction of an innocent human life… But let us be clear: punishment is solely for the abortionist who profits off of the destruction of one life and the grave wounding of another.”
But in her new blog on “The Pulse,” she wrote:
“Huge” news for those in the pro-life movement concerned about this year’s election.
Donald Trump has brought on John Mashburn as his Policy Director. This is an excellent hire, especially for the pro-life movement and our legislative priorities.
I have known and respected John Mashburn for many years. He is a smart strategist with deep pro-life roots. John is well-respected across every issue set. For him, the life issue is foundational and one which helped draw him into politics.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
