Shocked pro-life advocates pushed again after Donald Trump, one in every of their best allies throughout his presidency, blamed the abortion difficulty for hobbling the Republican Occasion within the November election.

“It wasn’t my fault that the Republicans didn’t dwell as much as expectations within the MidTerms,” the previous president stated in a Sunday assertion on Fact Social. “I used to be 233-20! It was the ‘abortion difficulty,’ poorly dealt with by many Republicans, particularly those who firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even within the case of Rape, Incest, or Lifetime of the Mom, that misplaced massive numbers of Voters.”

He added that “the people who pushed so onerous, for many years, towards abortion, obtained their want from the U.S. Supreme Courtroom, & simply plain disappeared, to not be seen once more. Plus, Mitch silly $’s!”

A slew of conservatives and pro-life activists rejected his evaluation, noting that the Republican Occasion helps an exception to avoid wasting the lifetime of the mom, as does the pro-life motion.

“First, not a single candidate Trump endorsed who misplaced backed his fictional ‘no exceptions even within the case of rape incest or lifetime of the mom,’” tweeted conservative commentator Ben Domenech. “Actually zero Republican candidates suppose abortion must be banned when a mom’s life is in danger.”

He predicted the ex-president’s blast would come again to hang-out him within the 2024 Republican presidential main.

“Trump betraying the pro-life trigger on Dobbs has been telegraphed for a very long time and is a big opening to bash him within the 2024 stakes which I anticipate a number of candidates to grab,” Mr. Domenech stated. “Lastly, suppose how silly it’s for Trump to run left on the pro-life difficulty. That is the most important win of his presidency. Enormous vested goodwill from pro-lifers. And what does he do? Name them quislings and say they’re too radical! Very dumb.”

Susan B. Anthony Professional-Life America, which spent a document $78 million through the 2022 marketing campaign with the Ladies Communicate Out PAC, reiterated its place that Republicans ought to have performed extra to distinction their abortion stances with these of Democrats, as an alternative of ignoring the difficulty.

“The strategy to profitable on abortion in federal races, confirmed for a decade is that this: state clearly the formidable consensus pro-life place and distinction that with the intense view of Democrat opponents,” the group stated in a Monday assertion. “We stay up for listening to that place totally articulated by Mr. Trump and all presidential candidates.”

The group was one in every of a number of main pro-life teams that supported a invoice launched in September by Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, to restrict most abortions after 15 weeks’ gestation, with exceptions for rape, incest, and dangers to the life and well being of the mom.

Mr. Graham was hotly criticized for bringing the invoice by different Republicans who argued that the difficulty must be left to the states and that the celebration’s midterm focus must be on the financial system, not abortion.

Mentioned SBA Professional-Life America: “There was ALSO a profound midterm lesson for future federal candidates: those that adopted the Ostrich Technique on abortion lose.”

Conservatives identified that Mr. Trump endorsed a slew of GOP candidates who took a tough line on abortion and misplaced, together with Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, Wisconsin gubernatorial nominee Tim Michels, and Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.

Republican governors who signed payments limiting abortion entry and cruised to victory in November embrace Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Ohio’s Mike DeWine, Georgia’s Brian Kemp, and Greg Abbott of Texas.

“Don’t ever apologize for prioritizing the abortion difficulty,” tweeted Kimberly Ross, a 2023 fellow with the conservative Impartial Ladies’s Discussion board. “As normal, Donald Trump is most involved about himself and his ego. All the time has been. He’s fairly actually a loser (electoral and in any other case) and must go away.”

In the meantime, Democrats seized on the cut up to blast Mr. Trump, who has been accused of injuring the GOP by boosting weak main candidates who wound up shedding within the basic election, turning the anticipated crimson wave into extra of a dribble.

“Expensive anti-abortion voters: Trump by no means believed life started at conception. He was utilizing the abortion difficulty solely to realize energy,” tweeted Rep. Ted Lieu, California Democrat. “Now that you simply’re not helpful to him, Trump blames you for shedding and desires you to close up. When you nonetheless help him, you might be disrespecting your self.” 

Rep. Ritchie Torres, New York Democrat, stated Mr. Trump had solely himself accountable for selecting conservative Supreme Courtroom justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade within the courtroom’s choice in Dobbs v. Jackson.

“WOW: Trump faults the anti-abortion fanaticism of the far proper for costing Republicans within the midterms, displaying {that a} damaged clock is true twice a day,” Mr. Torres tweeted. “Trump can not come to grips together with his personal position in reversing Roe vs Wade and lowering the so-called ‘crimson wave’ to a trickle.”

Conservative commentator Pedro Gonzalez famous that Mr. Trump took credit score for the autumn of Roe v. Wade after the courtroom’s June 24 opinion.

“It’s not the talk over abortion itself that’s going to upset individuals about Trump’s assertion at this level, however slightly it’s that he beforehand explicitly took credit score for [the] finish of Roe v. Wade—he known as it ‘the most important WIN for LIFE in a era,’” Mr. Gonzalez tweeted.

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