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March for Life: thousands gather in DC with new sense of hope for Trump Mike Pence proclaims 'life is winning again in America' at March for Life in DC
(35 minutes later)
On Tuesday night, Mikki Deters and her younger sister, Marail, boarded a bus in Wichita, Kansas. Twenty-four hours later, the sisters arrived in the nation’s capital, where on Friday they would join thousands of pro-life activists on the National Mall to march to the steps of the supreme court, where 44 years ago the justices legalized abortion.On Tuesday night, Mikki Deters and her younger sister, Marail, boarded a bus in Wichita, Kansas. Twenty-four hours later, the sisters arrived in the nation’s capital, where on Friday they would join thousands of pro-life activists on the National Mall to march to the steps of the supreme court, where 44 years ago the justices legalized abortion.
They waited in the winding security line awash in posters that read, “I am the pro-life generation” and “Don’t need Planned Parenthood”. Some held graphic images of fetuses while others chose more subtle messaging: “A person’s a person no matter how small – Dr Seuss” read one young girl’s colorful sign decorated with stickers. They waited in the winding security line awash in posters that read, “I am the pro-life generation” and “Don’t need Planned Parenthood”. Some held graphic images of fetuses while others chose more subtle messaging: “Trump loves the bump” and “A person’s a person no matter how small – Dr Seuss” read one young girl’s colorful sign decorated with stickers.
The March For Life is something of a tradition in the Deters family. Deters, 22, who traveled to DC as part of a multi-bus caravan with Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, a private high school in Wichita, said this is her fourth year attending – and hopes it’s her last.The March For Life is something of a tradition in the Deters family. Deters, 22, who traveled to DC as part of a multi-bus caravan with Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, a private high school in Wichita, said this is her fourth year attending – and hopes it’s her last.
“This is the first year I’ve come when I’ve felt like we might not have to come back next year,” Deters said. “And what I mean by that is that maybe we won’t have anything to protest next year and I won’t have to take a bus again.”“This is the first year I’ve come when I’ve felt like we might not have to come back next year,” Deters said. “And what I mean by that is that maybe we won’t have anything to protest next year and I won’t have to take a bus again.”
Deters, who voted for a third-party candidate because was wary of Donald Trump’s stance on abrotion, said she is hopeful that the as president he would follow through on his promise to appoint a conservative supreme court justice who will overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion in America. Deters was initially wary of Donald Trump and voted for a third-party candidate. But now she looks forward to the president following through on his promise to appoint a conservative supreme court justice who might overturn the right to an abortion in the US.
The March for Life, which bills itself as the “largest pro-life event in the world”, comes less than a week after millions of women, disgusted by Trump’s campaign rhetoric and behavior, took to the streets in cities around the world to protest the new president and his agenda. Indeed the new vice-president, Mike Pence, shared Deters’ sense of optimism when he addressed the crowd from a stage on the National Mall.
As thousands gathered along the National mall for the afternoon rally and march, Trump tweeted his solidarity with their action. “The #MarchForLife is so important. To all of you marching – you have my full support!”
The president was initially expected to call into the rally to spotlight the event, but on Friday, he was no longer expected to do so, according to his press secretary Sean Spicer. Instead, the crowd heard from vice-president Mike Pence, who introduced himself as he often does, a “Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order”.
“Because of all of you and because of the many thousands who stand with us in marches like this all across the nation, life is winning again in America,” Pence told the crowd to loud applause. This was the first time a sitting vice-president had attended the March for Life, in its 44-year existence.“Because of all of you and because of the many thousands who stand with us in marches like this all across the nation, life is winning again in America,” Pence told the crowd to loud applause. This was the first time a sitting vice-president had attended the March for Life, in its 44-year existence.
Pence touted Trump’s victory and the Republican control of Congress as proof that the anti-abortion movement would finally have its chance to limit – and potentially outlaw – abortion. The March for Life, which bills itself as the “largest pro-life event in the world” was started to protest Roe v Wade, a landmark decision handed down by the supreme court in 1973 that legalized abortion in America.
But the president is the unlikely messenger for the movement. He has wavered in his support for abortion – calling himself “very pro-choice” on one occasion, and later reversing and declaring himself “pro-life”. On the campaign trail, Trump even suggested that women who have abortions should be punished. He quickly corrected the remark amid an onslaught of criticism to say that doctors, not women, who perform the procedure should be held responsible. This year’s march comes less than a week after millions of women, disgusted by Trump’s campaign rhetoric and behavior, took to the streets in cities around the world to protest the new president and his agenda.
As thousands gathered along the National Mall for the afternoon rally and march, Trump tweeted his solidarity with their action. “The #MarchForLife is so important. To all of you marching – you have my full support!”
The president was initially expected to call into the rally to spotlight the event, . Instead, the crowd heard from Pence and Kellyanne Conway, a counselor to the president who was introduced at the rally as “one of us”, as well as from Republicans lawmakers and movement leaders.
In his remarks, Pence touted Trump’s victory and the Republican control of Congress as proof that the anti-abortion movement would finally have its chance to limit – and potentially outlaw – abortion. He said Trump will announce his choice for supreme court justice next week and promised it would be someone “who will uphold the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution in the tradition of the late and great Justice Antonin Scalia”.
“To heal our land and restore a culture of life we must continue to be a movement that embraces all and cares for all out of respect for the dignity and worth of every person,” Pence said to raucous applause.
Even Trump’s supporters admit that the president is the unlikely messenger for the movement. He has wavered in his support for abortion – calling himself “very pro-choice” on one occasion, and later reversing and declaring himself “pro-life”. On the campaign trail, Trump even suggested that women who have abortions should be punished. He quickly corrected the remark amid an onslaught of criticism to say that doctors, not women, who perform the procedure should be held responsible.
Despite early speculation that the twice-divorced businessman – who once cited the verse “two Corinthians” rather than the correct “second Corinthians” during his campaign and said he’s never sought forgiveness for his sins – could capture the vote of the pious.Despite early speculation that the twice-divorced businessman – who once cited the verse “two Corinthians” rather than the correct “second Corinthians” during his campaign and said he’s never sought forgiveness for his sins – could capture the vote of the pious.
But in the end, Trump won with substantial backing from the Christian right, one of the Republican party’s largest and most reliable voting blocs.But in the end, Trump won with substantial backing from the Christian right, one of the Republican party’s largest and most reliable voting blocs.
Eight in ten people who identified as white born-again or evangelical Christians, voted for Trump, while just 16% voted for Clinton – a 65 percentage point margin, according to an analysis by the PEW research center. Trump’s margin of victory among this group was matched or exceeded the victory margins for George W Bush in 2004, John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012, the analysis found. Eight in ten people who identified as white born-again or evangelical Christians, voted for Trump, while just 16% voted for Clinton – a 65 percentage point margin, according to an analysis by the Pew research center. Trump’s margin of victory among this group was matched or exceeded the victory margins for George W Bush in 2004, John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012, the analysis found.
“Trump obviously said things that he shouldn’t have said, but I voted for him because he was pro-life,” said Elizabeth Wehren, 20, a student at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.“Trump obviously said things that he shouldn’t have said, but I voted for him because he was pro-life,” said Elizabeth Wehren, 20, a student at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.
“He made promises to us that he would appoint pro-life justices and pass the Hyde amendment as permanent law, and the pain-capable bill that would prevent abortions after 20-weeks. That was the most important factor for me.”“He made promises to us that he would appoint pro-life justices and pass the Hyde amendment as permanent law, and the pain-capable bill that would prevent abortions after 20-weeks. That was the most important factor for me.”
And so far, Wehren believes Trump is already keeping those promises.And so far, Wehren believes Trump is already keeping those promises.
In one of the first acts of his presidency, Trump reinstated a Reagan-era policy that bans international organizations from providing abortion services or offering information about abortions if they receive funding from the US government. Trump has promised to sign into law a bill Republicans are pushing through Congress that would codify the Hyde amendment, a ban prohibiting US insurance carriers from offering policies that contain abortion coverage.In one of the first acts of his presidency, Trump reinstated a Reagan-era policy that bans international organizations from providing abortion services or offering information about abortions if they receive funding from the US government. Trump has promised to sign into law a bill Republicans are pushing through Congress that would codify the Hyde amendment, a ban prohibiting US insurance carriers from offering policies that contain abortion coverage.
Trump has also said that he will nominate a “pro-life” judge to the supreme court, a promise that helped him secure the support of Christian conservatives and anti-abortion advocates during the campaign. An announcement on the nominee is expected as early as next week. Though social conservatives ultimately overcame any initial hesitations to support Trump for president, many say they are assured that they have a champion of their cause in the vice-president.
Though social conservatives ultimately supported Trump for president, many ultimately view Pence as their champion in the White House.
“I’m thrilled that we have a Christian in the White House who supports our beliefs and has the ear of the President,” Beth Johnson, 70, who traveled from Show Low, Arizona, to Washington to march for the first time, said of Pence. “With him by the president’s side, I’m very excited about what this administration will do.”“I’m thrilled that we have a Christian in the White House who supports our beliefs and has the ear of the President,” Beth Johnson, 70, who traveled from Show Low, Arizona, to Washington to march for the first time, said of Pence. “With him by the president’s side, I’m very excited about what this administration will do.”