Sarah Palin defended Donald Trump’s reversal on abortion Monday against pro-life women who say they are “disgusted” by him and are urging Republicans to vote for anyone but him.
“I’m so glad that Mr. Trump has seen the light and understands the sanctity of innocent life and how a baby in the womb should be most protected,” Palin said during an interview on CNN, according to Politico.
“What has been kind of sad about the situation, though, politically speaking, are groups that are pro-life and want to, they say they want to bring more people into the fold,” she continued. “They [are] giving Trump a hard time for his past views on abortion.”
In 1999, Trump said during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press that he was “very pro-choice.” Since then, Trump has said he is pro-life.
“Let me be clear – I am pro-life,” Trump wrote last week in a Washington Examiner op-ed.
“Over time, our culture of life in this country has started sliding toward a culture of death,” Trump added. “Over 50 million Americans never had the chance to enjoy the opportunities offered by this country,” he said, speaking about the numbers of aborted babies in the United States since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision 43 years ago.
In addition, Trump acknowledges he was pro-choice prior to a personal experience that changed his mind about abortion.
However, a group of state and national pro-life women leaders urged Iowa voters last week to support any GOP candidate except Trump. They said:
Trump cannot be trusted and there is, thankfully, an abundance of alternative candidates with proven records of pro-life leadership whom pro-life voters can support. We have come to this conclusion after having listened patiently to numerous debates and news reports, but most importantly to Donald Trump’s own words.
The pro-life women went on to explain they are “disgusted” by Trump’s treatment of women, particularly Fox News host Megyn Kelly and his GOP rival Carly Fiorina.
“He has impugned the dignity of women,” they asserted, pointing out that Trump’s Atlantic City casino hotel boasted the first strip club casino in the nation.
President of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List Marjorie Dannenfelser is among the women activists protesting Trump. She said regarding Palin’s defense of the GOP frontrunner, “She should know that the conversion is good news but the critical question is are you ready to advance, defend and answer questions on the issue. If not, then you’re not ready for prime time. She of all people should understand that.”
“Trump cannot handle the most basic of questions, begging off and claiming everyone knows the answer,” Dannenfelser added. “Palin and Trump should know what happens when you are ill prepared. You will be squashed and the cause you purport to support will suffer for it.”