The Family Research Council, long loyal to the Republican Party, is sounding the alarm ahead of the November midterms: “GOP Abandoning Pro-Life Policies May Hand Democrats Midterm Victory, Data Shows.”
“GOP leaders risk severely dampening midterm enthusiasm and voter base turnout if they retreat from key pro-life positions,” said FRC, which warned of a “trust crisis (that’s) threatening to cripple voter enthusiasm and turnout in the midterms” and a decrease in party volunteers.
Marjorie Dannenfelser of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America issued a similar warning before January’s 53rd annual March for Life. After the movement achieved “the victory of a lifetime” in reversing Roe v. Wade, “some in the Republican Party are in danger of throwing away the victory — and with it their most reliable constituency,” she warned in a Washington Post column.
“For starters, that means: No passionate door-knockers. No literature. No endorsements. This will result in the loss of much-needed votes,” she wrote. “If Republicans won’t take their base seriously, they should expect a grim midterm year — with only themselves to blame.”
The incumbent president’s party typically loses seats in Congress in midterm elections. Trump’s declining approval ratings may make things worse. Currently, less than 40% of Americans approve of Trump’s performance while nearly 60% disapprove.
Anti-abortion groups worked decades to overturn Roe, hoping that returning the issue to the states would reduce abortions. Many red states tightened abortion restrictions. Family Research Council celebrated a report that “pro-life legislation saved over 22,000 babies from abortion” in 14 states.
But meanwhile, 11 blue states expanded abortion access after Roe fell, with some states enshrining abortion access to their state constitutions. “Every one of these measures actually goes far beyond what Roe v. Wade declared constitutional,” said Nicole C. Hunt, a lawyer with Focus on the Family.
Today, most abortions are performed with the drug mifepristone acquired by mail. The Trump administration has failed to halt sales of the drug, further angering anti-abortion supporters.
FRC and other anti-abortion groups now acknowledge the number of abortions has actually increased since Roe was overturned in 2022.
“With power back to the states, many assumed the number of abortions would decrease,” said Family Research Council. “What they failed to recognize was one small, yet powerful influence: the abortion pill.”
FRC and other anti-abortion groups now acknowledge the number of abortions has actually increased since Roe was overturned in 2022. There were an estimated 1,037,000 abortions in 2023, an 11% increase over 2020, reported Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.
Anti-abortion groups criticize the Trump administration for failing to prioritize abortion over other issues (“redesigning the food pyramid, rescheduling marijuana, “running” Venezuela, shutting down puppy mills, championing whole milk, phasing out food dyes and naming the Gulf of America”) and accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of “actively facilitating access to the chemical abortion drug mifepristone.”
These groups applaud Trump for his “Big Beautiful Bill,” which cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood. “The Big Beautiful Bill is one of the most pro-life pieces of legislation in American history,” said Tim Goeglein of Focus on the Family.
FRC also commended Trump after the U.S. State Department declared abortion and gender transition procedures for minors human rights violations.
But Trump, who was pro-choice before he expressed anti-abortion views in appealing to pro-life voters, proved in 2024 that the GOP can win without the strict anti-abortion policies that have been part of GOP agenda for decades.
“Trump watered down the pro-life plank of the Republican platform to an extent not seen in at least 40 years, and he still won an overwhelming majority of white evangelical voters,” said Ryan Burge, a religion statistics expert.
Trump earned a higher percentage of white evangelical voters in 2024 than he did in the two previous races, which emphasized opposition to abortion. Trump won 80% of the white evangelical vote in 2016, 76% in 2020, and 82% in 2024, said Burge.