Republicans must go on offense on abortion: Kellyanne Conway, anti-abortion group chief

Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and the head of a leading anti-abortion organization called on Republicans to go on offense in the debate over abortion access Friday. 

Conway and Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, wrote in an op-ed in The Washington Post that some candidates on the stage at the first Republican presidential debate Wednesday were “boldly pro-life,” but others were not. 

They said Republicans have been “shockingly silent” about abortion in the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had established a constitutional protection for abortion rights. 

“One of the most harmful things Republicans said about abortion over the past year was … nothing. Many panicked and chose to bury their heads in the sand, allowing their opponents to attack them while missing an opportunity to share a positive pro-life vision for the future,” they said. 

Only two candidates in the GOP debate — former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) — directly said they would support a federal 15-week abortion ban. Other candidates signaled that they support greater restrictions on abortion but avoided declaring their support for a specific proposal. 

Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said she is “unapologetically pro-life” but reiterated past calls she has made for finding “consensus” on the issue. She has pointed to the required 60 votes needed for legislation to advance in the Senate as a reason she believes the chances of passing a federal abortion ban are slim. 

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum argued against a national ban, saying it should be left to the states and citing the Constitution’s 10th Amendment, which leaves power not granted to the federal government to the states. 

Conway and Dannenfelser said the states’ rights argument should not stand, arguing that these individuals would not be silent for other issues such as crime and homelessness. 

They said Republicans must take four actions to win “hearts, minds and votes” on abortion: clearly define their position, support mothers and children, openly talk about abortion and call on Democrats to reveal their positions on the issue. 

They cited a poll showing majority support for a 15-week ban as evidence that Republicans “must proudly adopt and articulate” that policy. They said advocates should speak about the issue with “love, not judgement,” and push for legislation that provides greater resources for pregnancies. 

Conway and Dannenfelser said Democrats need to be challenged on what limitations, if any, they support for abortion.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel expressed similar sentiments following the debate Wednesday, saying the GOP is “not going to win” in 2024 if members do not talk about abortion. She said she was “very pleased” to see the issue come up at the debate.