Tens of thousands of people who oppose abortion descended on the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., for the annual March on Abortion Rights on Friday.
At the event, women shared personal stories of considering abortion but ultimately deciding not to. Distinguished guests, including Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh, also spoke.
The march also focused on providing resources and funding to pregnancy resource centers, as a proposed rule by the Biden administration could limit some of the funding sent to such centers. Attendees, including priests and students, came from all over the country and rejoiced amid the falling snow and cold temperatures.
“This year the pro-life movement is just to show a sign of strength, perseverance, self-sacrifice for the cause of human rights, (with) a special focus on the needs of women facing unplanned pregnancies,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B .Anthony Pro-Life America, told CBS News.
For many in attendance, abortion will be a central issue in the upcoming election and will color how they view the presidential candidates. In a Fox News town hall, former President Donald Trump recently boasted about his role in ending federal abortion rights, touting his appointment of three of the Supreme Court justices who ruled in the majority of Dobbs decision which overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case.
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“No one has done more in this regard. (But) I’m for the exceptions, like Ronald Reagan, with the life of the mother, rape, incest. I just have to be there, I feel,” Trump said.
However, the former president told Republicans they needed to find consensus on the issue to “win elections,” a position some March for Life attendees disagreed with. Oni Otiocha, a 20-year-old student at North Carolina State University and president of the campus group Students for Life, believes life begins at conception and men should have a voice in abortion policy. She said she thinks Trump has been “a little dumb” on some of these issues.
“I’m not that excited about it,” Otioha said. Instead, she favored Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed a six-week abortion ban into law in Florida.
Sophia Niarchos, 68, of New Jersey, said the Dobbs ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade was “just a drop in the bucket” because “in most states in this union, people can still have abortions.”
DeSantis said that if elected president, he would sign a national abortion ban. Voters who support the anti-abortion movement are seeking further restrictions. Haley recently called on Republicans to stop demonizing abortion.
“Democrats are instilling fear in women about abortion, and Republicans are using discretion,” Haley said last week. “This is too personal a matter to put fear or judgment into.” Our goal should be “How do we save as many babies as possible and support as many mothers as possible?”
A staffer at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said Trump is the president with the most reflective record on opposing abortion, but candidates must approach the issue with compassion. Dannenfelser said her organization seeks to support Republican candidates at the federal level who defend restrictions on abortion after the third month of pregnancy.
Zoe Gilsenan, a 20-year-old student at the University of Florida, said abortion is not a partisan issue, but she’s looking for a candidate who doesn’t compromise on exceptions.
“I find that both political parties have different views on the issue of protecting life. As a Catholic, I accept some of the positions held by Democrats as well as Republicans. So I think it’s more complicated than just Republican and Democrat. And I think it’s important to look at the individual beliefs and positions of each candidate,” she said. “I think Donald Trump is more pro-life than Joe Biden. However, it is not without appeal to life from the moment of conception, and I do not accept that.’
