A group of some of the most powerful social conservatives in the country, fearful that Donald J. Trump may push to water down the Republican Party’s official position on abortion, sent a pointed letter to the former president this month imploring him to keep strong anti-abortion language in the party platform.
The letter, which has not previously been reported but was reviewed by The New York Times, is the latest sign of the fierce behind-the-scenes lobbying underway over the language that will officially outline the party’s principles. The Republican platform has not been updated in eight years and is especially outdated on the topic of abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The letter urges Mr. Trump to “make clear that you do not intend to weaken the pro-life plank.” Specifically, it asks him to commit to keeping language in the platform that the party supports a “human life amendment to the Constitution” and legislation to “make clear that the 14th Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth.”
It was co-signed by 10 anti-abortion leaders, including Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America. Ms. Dannenfelser delivered the letter via email to Mr. Trump’s top adviser, Susie Wiles, on June 10, as the party prepares to hold its national convention in Milwaukee starting July 15.
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In a statement to The Times, Ms. Dannenfelser, one of the co-signers of the June 10 letter, emphasized that the anti-abortion movement remained “all-in” on electing Mr. Trump. She said they were undertaking a massive voter outreach program in battleground states to contrast Mr. Trump’s message on abortion against President Biden’s.
“Our only request is that the G.O.P. platform retains a key principle as it has for 40 years asserting a constitutional right to life for the unborn under the 14th Amendment,” Ms. Dannenfelser said in her statement…
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