The Hypocrite in Chief’s War on Women

Health & Gender Policy #178 | By: Evan Wechman | February 8, 2025

Featured Photo By: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

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Trump has been president for under a month, and he is already going to great lengths to restrict a woman’s right to an abortion.  At first, after the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court that Trump helped assemble, it appeared that abortion would be left to the states.

However, Trump has gone further by promising to be the most pro-life president the country has ever had. Just hours after addressing the annual anti-abortion March for Life in a prerecorded video, he signed executive orders restricting a woman’s right to choose.

With the power of the pen, President Trump is enforcing the Hyde Amendment, ending the use of federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote abortion. This is in direct contrast to former President Biden, who allowed federal funds for groups to discuss abortion as an option. In addition, the former president used taxpayer funding for elective abortions by categorizing it as healthcare and permitted Medicaid funding to pay for travel care for abortions.

Also, Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum reinstating the Mexico City Policy which prohibits foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health funding from providing or mentioning abortion as an option with other sources of financing.

According to The White House Facts Sheet released on January 25^th, “President Trump promised to protect and defend a vote of the people, from within the states, on the issue of life. Today’s executive actions build on the long list of accomplishments from the first Trump Administration to support the sanctity of every human life and prevent taxpayer funding of abortion. “

Analysis

It’s one thing to be personally opposed to abortion, but it’s a different story to decide for the entire nation that abortion is unacceptable.  Trump at first said he was going to let the states decide whether abortion would be legal in their province.  However, like many other positions, Trump seems to be singing a different tune now.

Through his new enactments, he is making it much more difficult for women to make their own reproductive decisions.  For instance, a woman who lives in a state with restrictive abortion laws can no longer use Medicaid to help her travel to a state that allows more rights to reproductive freedom.

Even groups dedicated to women’s health like Planned Parenthood are in jeopardy of not even being able to discuss abortion as an option since they receive federal funds.

Trump is dictating the health and safety of all women based on his personal beliefs.  This will eat away at the fabric of the country, which has always been about personal freedom.  If a pregnant woman wants to consider abortion, Trump is having his values override her choice.

The reality is if Trump gets his way and there are no legal abortions in the nation, then we will return to a time where women are forced to seek help from bad doctors performing services in dark alleys. But abortions will still happen. The safety however of these women will be in jeopardy.

Likewise, a 2022 study by The National Academy of Sciences found that Trump’s anti-abortion restrictions led to approximately 108,00 deaths of women and children in poor nations during his first term. This is because Trump cut funding for non-profits that provided health services for sexually transmitted diseases with U.S. taxpayer money but used other revenue streams to provide abortions.

Trump’s actions are beyond hypocritical.  He is attempting to take the moral high ground by acquiescing to pro-life groups, but he is in no position to impose his ethics on others.  He pardoned about 1500 defendants involved in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

This dangerous attempt to overturn the election led to the loss of life, various injuries, and the overall safety of our country. It is beyond logic for Trump to pardon friends of his whose actions resulted in death but continue to strip away a woman’s right to choose, putting her safety and welfare at risk.

But for President Trump, this is not about logic. It is about power.

Engagement Resources:

• About Us – Reproductive Freedom for All  Organization of over 4 million members who fight for access to abortion, birth control, and protections from pregnancy discrimination.

• Planned Parenthood | Official Site  Planned Parenthood works to protect and expand access to sexual and reproductive healthcare and education.

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