Rank-and-file members of the anti-abortion movement demonstrating in Washington, D.C., on Friday said they are hopeful that Vice President JD Vance will lead the Republican Party in their direction after increasing tensions between anti-abortion groups and President Donald Trump.
Thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators gathered in the capital on Friday for the 53rd annual March for Life, marking the fourth such rally since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision overturned Roe v. Wade federal protections for abortion.
But in the weeks leading up to the demonstration, leaders in the anti-abortion movement have increasingly questioned their relationship to the GOP, particularly after Trump told Republicans to be “flexible on Hyde” during healthcare bill negotiations, referring to the Hyde Amendment’s restrictions on federally funded abortions.
Leaders within the anti-abortion movement, as well as Republican members of Congress, have also ramped up pressure on the Trump administration for failing to reinstitute in-person screening requirements to dispense the abortion pill mifepristone.
In a video address to the marchers, Trump said, “We will continue to fight for the eternal truth that every child is a gift from God.”
Benjamin D’Amico, 19, told the Washington Examiner that he hopes Vance “can help talk to Trump for us because he’s a lot closer to Trump than we’ll ever be.”
“I just hope that he’s able to help the policies move towards our direction, towards saving children and lives,” he said.
D’Amico said he drove 14 hours from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to attend the rally and slept overnight in his car. He became involved in the anti-abortion movement when his older sister became pregnant, and her boyfriend pressured her into an abortion. His sister, who is 21 years old, kept her pregnancy, and her daughter is 2 years old.
“It’s a whole life. I love babies, and I don’t think that anyone should be killed without any purpose,” D’Amico said, adding that he prays the Trump administration will “make the right decision” on life matters.
When it comes to the midterm elections, D’Amico said, “I have to choose the better of the two evils,” adding that he will vote based on gun rights and the economy.
Sarah, a senior at Texas State University, told the Washington Examiner that she has made her peace with the reality that the Trump administration is not as anti-abortion as she would like.
“Donald J. Trump is not pro-life at all. I still do support him in his policies that he has implemented because it has been more pro-life than other presidencies,” Sarah said.
But she and her friend Andrea, also a student at Texas State, said they are very supportive of Vance because he is unequivocally anti-abortion. Andrea said Vance speaking at March for Life “says a lot about the future.”
Joanna Hier of Richmond, Virginia, brought her son Samuel, who is 7 months old, to the rally and told the Washington Examiner that she is “very excited” about Vance’s address to the crowd, especially since he and second lady Usha Vance are expecting their fourth child.
Hier said she is concerned for the future of the anti-abortion movement but is ultimately satisfied with the Trump administration’s handling of the matter.
“I think that what Trump and JD Vance are doing with allowing the states to decide, I think that was the best choice, because not everybody is pro-life,” she said.
Vance told the Washington Examiner ahead of the march that anti-abortion advocates need “to be realistic with ourselves” and focus on state-level victories.
“Building a culture of life requires persuasion,” Vance said at the march, adding that the movement must be oriented toward convincing other Americans to be against abortion.
The vice president said he knows there are “a lot of pro-life activists who wish that more would happen, who wish that more progress had been made,” but that the Trump administration is the most anti-abortion in history.
During his speech, Vance addressed those who wish that the administration would do more to “advance the cause of life,” saying debates from within the movement “help keep people like me honest, and that’s the important thing.”
READ IN FULL: VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE’S FULL INTERVIEW
Andrea said before Vance’s speech that she is very hopeful for the future of the anti-abortion movement and the GOP.
“Looking at it like, [Vance] will be a future president, so we know exactly what we’re getting ourselves into,” she said.
