President Donald Trump is seen as a hero of the pro-life movement. Among other things, Trump nominated three new Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. But the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision doesn’t make up for other serious missteps by this administration concerning the sanctity of life.
The Food and Drug Administration just approved a generic form of mifepristone, one of two pills taken during a chemical abortion. This move is anti-life. Beyond that, the excuse given for the approval is weak and doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. But the approval is unsurprising given that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a man with a history that is neither conservative nor pro-life.
TRUMP FDA APPROVES NEW GENERIC ABORTION PILL, ANGERING CONSERVATIVES
The application for the drug in question was submitted in October 2021, during the Biden administration. Alarmingly, it was approved by the Trump FDA “before it completed its own safety review of the drug,” as the Washington Examiner‘s Peter Laffin reported. Never mind being out of step with the pro-life agenda; this is dismissing further study of a serious drug because of interest in fast approval. It makes little sense, especially considering the FDA and Kennedy have the ability to withhold approval until a thorough safety check is complete.
Abortion drugs should not be easier to obtain. They cause documented harm to women, not to mention the babies in the womb whose lives are quite literally destroyed as a result.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) criticized the decision on X, writing, “FDA had promised to do a top-to-bottom safety review of the chemical abortion drug, but instead they’ve just greenlighted new versions of it for distribution. I have lost confidence in the leadership at FDA.”
Both FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Kennedy assured legislators during their confirmation hearings that a full safety review would be done.
Needless to say, this is all very disappointing considering the seriousness of the drug, the broken promises, and the fact that the Trump administration is hailed as a pro-life administration. If anything, the administration prioritizes political expediency and appeasement over proper procedure, and most of all, protecting lives.
In August 2024, Trump posted on Truth Social, “My Administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.” This caused great concern among pro-life voters and leaders. We hoped it was just campaign bluster and would not come to fruition. But Trump was not lying, as has been clearly demonstrated by some of his decisions during his second term.
RFK JR. SAID HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO APPROVE ABORTION PILL. HERE’S WHAT THE LAW SAYS
When Republicans are in power, it is imperative that they use their leverage to make gains for the unborn and women in ways that protect their health and very lives. There is no use in placating the other side. It is especially egregious when elected leaders and appointees have the ability to do what’s right and simply refuse to do it.
Some on the Right apparently see the historic Dobbs decision as a victory that should cover future anti-life wrongs. They see Dobbs as a finish line, not as a starting point to building a true culture of life in the United States. The decision should be praised as a major victory, but what matters after it is just as important — in fact, even more so. Changing the hearts and minds of those who oppose conservatives on the abortion matter won’t happen if we do exactly what they would do.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner‘s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributor to the Magnolia Tribune.
