President Trump became the first sitting President to attend and speak at the March for Life, a leading anti-abortion event focused on “working to end abortion—uniting, educating, and mobilizing pro-life people in the public square.”
In an introduction, Vice President Mike Pence described Trump as “the most pro-life president in American history.” Pence added, “From reinstating the Mexico City policy, defunding Planned Parenthood, to appointing principled conservative judges to the federal bench, the results speak for themselves. This movement has a champion in Donald Trump, and you always will.”
In his remarks, the President said, “all of us here today understand an eternal truth: every child is a precious and sacred gift from God… When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation.”
Trump continued, “we’ve taken decisive action to protect the religious liberty—so important. Religious liberty has been under attack all over the world and frankly very strongly in our nation. We’re taking care of doctors, teachers, and groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor, we are preserving faith-based adoption…”
In response, Debbie Allen, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America, said:
“From day one, President Trump has pandered to Christian Nationalists and their extreme vision of America. Today, he once again groveled to his religious base in the hope that they’re willing to vote for him in November.
“By ‘religious liberty,’ the President means using faith as a cudgel to discriminate, marginalize, and dehumanize non-Christians. Trump’s speech today was transparent and unequivocal: he believes Christian values should carry more legal and ethical weight than any others.
“Make no mistake, the anti-abortion movement has always been and continues to be about forcing the religious beliefs of one community on the rest of society. Thankfully, the Supreme Court has made clear that the anti-abortion movement’s restrictive, theocratic vision for healthcare policy in America is fundamentally unconstitutional.
“The policies Trump championed today do irrevocable harm to women and their families at home and abroad. The secular community has been calling for an end to government that is more beholden to the Bible than ‘We the People’ and we plan on making it happen with our votes in November. People who self-identify as atheist, agnostic, or secular make up nearly 25% of the total U.S. population—around 60 million adults who can swing 2020 one way or the other.”
Published as a news release by the Secular Coalition for America, 01.24.2020.