by Debra Heine
President Trump addressed the annual “March For Life” rally in Washington D.C., Friday, becoming the first sitting president to appear at the massive pro-life event in its 47-year history.
Trump told the pro-life throng that “unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House and that “every life, every person is worth protecting.”
And the president suggested that the left was targeting him because of the work his administration has done to protect life and protect religious liberty. “They are coming after me because I am fighting for you,” he said.
Trump in 2018 was the first president to address the crowd via video. He addressed the March for Life by video again in 2019, and Vice President Pence appeared at that rally, as well.
“It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life,” Trump began. “We’re here for a very simple reason—to defend the right of every child born and unborn to fulfill their God-given potential.”
“Today, as president of the United States, I am truly proud to stand with you,” he added as the crowd roared in approval.
The president went on to thank the “tens of thousands of high school and college students who took long bus rides to be here in our nation’s capital,” and the strong faith leaders and women who “are the heart of the pro life movement.”
“When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation,” Trump said. “When we hold a newborn in our arms, we know the endless love that each child brings to a family. When we see a child grow, we see the splendor that radiates from each human soul. ”
The president touted his own pro-life bonafides, citing numerous actions he has taken from his first week in office to protect the unborn.
“Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House,” he said. “And as the bible tells us, each person is wonderfully made.”
He also cited his administration’s defense of religious liberty, which he said has been under attack not only throughout the world, but in the United States, as well.
As if to underscore his point, the Trump administration hours earlier on Friday moved to challenge the state of California over a rule that mandates insurance plans must cover elective abortion.
“Sadly, the far left is working to shut down faith-based charities, ban religious believers from the public square, and silence Americans who believe in the sanctity of life,” Trump said.
Then, in an apparent reference to impeachment, the president told the crowd: “They are coming after me because I am fighting for you, and we are fighting for those who have no voice.” As the crowd cheered in response, Trump assured them, “we will win because we know how to win.”
The president went on to slam Democrats for “embracing radical and extreme positions” on abortion, which include legislation that “allows babies to be ripped from the mother’s womb right up until delivery.”
“We cannot know what our citizens yet unborn will achieve, the dreams they will imagine, the masterpieces they will create, the discoveries they will make, but we know this—every life brings love into this world, the president said. “Every child brings joy to a family, every person is worth protecting, and above all, we know that every human soul is divine and every human life, born and unborn is made in the holy image of almighty God.”
He concluded: “Together we will defend this truth all across this magnificent land. We will set free the dreams of our people, and with determined hope, we look forward to all of the blessings that will come from the beauty, talent, purpose, nobility and grace of every American child.”
The March for Life—which draws hundreds of thousands of Americans from all backgrounds to the National Mall each year—typically receives scant attention from the mainstream media, but the president’s appearance this year forced their hand.Mainstream media outlets, of course, characterized the rally as “anti-abortion,” and attendees as “abortion foes.” [These same media outlets typically refer to pro-abortion events as “pro-choice,” and pro-abortion activists as pro-choice advocates or abortion-rights advocates]
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Debra Heine is a conservative Catholic mom of six and longtime political pundit. She has written for several conservative news websites over the years, including Breitbart and PJ Media.
