Trump’s views on abortion have certainly changed since the days when he said he was fully in agreement with laws allowing women to make choices about their own bodies and health. These days, he needs evangelical support, and with 2020 looming, he’ll do anything to get it.
The night before last week’s National Prayer Breakfast, President Donald Trump confronted Democratic Senator Chris Coons on the issue of abortion creating a tense scene in the White House’s Blue Room, according to three sources familiar with the exchange https://t.co/DHTSQAMGro
— POLITICO (@politico) February 14, 2019
When Trump hosted religious leaders at the White House, he reportedly spotted Democratic Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), who identifies as a devout Christian and was in attendance to represent Democrats. To impress the religious leaders at the dinner, Trump confronted the senator and “was in his face” because he hasn’t so far spoken out against abortion, according to witnesses.
According to POLITICO:
‘Trump leaned in close to Coons, who calls himself “a practicing Christian and a devout Presbyterian,” and laced into the Democratic senator over controversial moves to change statewide policies on abortion that have roiled New York and Virginia politics in recent weeks. “He was in his face about it,” said one person familiar with the exchange. The person described Trump as extremely “worked up.”’
Democrat Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia just stated, “I believe that I am not either of the people in that photo.” This was 24 hours after apologizing for appearing in the picture and after making the most horrible statement on “super” late term abortion. Unforgivable!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 3, 2019
The confrontation follows Trump’s push to convince voters that Democrats support infanticide after a late-term abortion bill that expands the medical requirements for women who seek abortions in their third trimester. These types of procedures are rare and performed only in the event of a non-viable fetus or serious threat to the life of the mother, but Trump has managed to twist wording to insist that the bill really allows women and doctors to “execute babies,” as he told a crowd in El Paso.
To show off his new agenda of winning evangelicals back to support him in 2020, Trump made a show of confronting Coons.
‘“He saw a Democrat in the room, a Democrat who’s known to be a person of faith, and he was like, ‘Why aren’t you speaking out about this?’” the source added.
‘Another source who was in the room confirmed the account, describing the moment as both “awkward” and attention-grabbing. Rarely has Trump been so vocal about abortion when the masses aren’t watching, this person said. (A Coons spokesman declined to comment.)’
In what onlookers decribed as an "awkward" encounter, President Trump got in the face of Democratic Sen. Chris Coons over abortion, yelling for several minutes during a private event with religious leaders before the National Prayer Breakfast. https://t.co/cXNXbpZIWC
— Bacon'z Bitz (@BaconzBitz1) February 14, 2019
The bill in question does not do what Trump is trying to convince people it does, and he likely knows it. When embattled Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, who has many legitimate reasons to resign, said that babies born incompatible with life would be resuscitated and “kept comfortable” while parents and physicians discussed the best course of action, Republicans insisted that he meant the bill would allow doctors to murder healthy babies if the parents decided they didn’t want the baby anymore.
Nothing could be more false, but Trump is parlaying the statement into evangelical support, anyway.
‘The private episode underscored Trump’s recent public focus on abortion, which has delighted his evangelical Christian supporters. During his State of the Union address last Tuesday, Trump used vivid imagery to claim that New York’s new abortion law would “allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth.” And he accused Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who’s backed similar legislation in his state, of wanting to allow medical providers to “execute” babies after birth.’
Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28, 2019
His sudden concern about abortion is part of a larger effort to win back evangelical votes. Another recent effort came when Trump decided to allow Bible Literacy classes in public schools, which he decided while watching a Fox News segment on the matter.
‘That wider effort includes Trump’s unexpected endorsement last month of a campaign to add Bible literacy classes to public school curriculums. He has also been in regular touch with evangelical leaders, including Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., who sometimes speaks to the president several times a month.’
Featured image screengrab via YouTube
