Is Trump winning the war on abortion?
Two years ago, anti-abortion leaders attacked then-candidate Donald Trump as a “pro-choice” liberal who couldn’t be trusted. This week, the movement's most prominent leader praised Trump as “the most pro-life president in history” as he spoke at the Susan B. Anthony List’s gala. How did Trump became an unlikely anti-abortion hero, and what has Trump actually accomplished? First, POLITICO’s Jennifer Haberkorn joins Dan Diamond to discuss Trump’s recent moves, including this week’s changes to the Title X program (starts at the 1:55 mark), and why public health experts say Trump’s proposed limits on abortion amount to a “gag rule” on physicians (6:35). Then Marjorie Dannenfelser, who leads SBA List and chaired Trump’s “Pro-Life Coalition” during his campaign, discusses why anti-abortion groups are surging under Trump (starts at the 12:50 mark), the passionate politics around abortion issues (13:45), how she went from Trump critic to top Trump supporter (20:30), her relationship with the White House (25:10), the anti-abortion strategy ahead of the midterms (26:25) and whether being “pro-life” includes supporting measures like gun control (31:15). Then stick around after the credits for Marjorie’s thoughts on how to build an advocacy organization in the latest “Steal My Job” segment (35:30). We'd appreciate your help: Please share PULSE CHECK and rate us on your favorite podcast app! Have questions, suggestions or feedback? Email ddiamond@politico.com. MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Jen Haberkorn and Chris Cadelago’s story on how the anti-abortion movement came to love Trump: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/anti-abortion-forces-trump-561191 Jen’s story on how abstinence advocate Valerie Huber gained new powers at HHS to manage the Title X program: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/06/abstinence-advocate-family-planning-dollars-389453 Equity Forward’s Mary Alice Carter appeared on PULSE CHECK in April and criticized the Trump administration’s abortion policies: https://simplecast.com/s/e5b29eb9 (Starts at the 1:50 mark).