Special Poll
The former vice president’s recent public critique of his former boss underscores a growing rift between them, despite not mentioning him by name. This divide highlights the Republican Party’s struggle with addressing abortion rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision Pence hailed as a “historic victory 50 years in the making.”
During his presidential campaign, Pence advocated for a nationwide ban on abortion at 15 weeks of gestation. In contrast, Trump argued that abortion should be a state issue to avoid alienating swing voters.
Earlier this year, Pence refused to endorse Trump, later criticizing his stance on abortion as a “slap in the face.” Trump responded on Truth Social, claiming Pence “never believed I could overturn Roe v. Wade” and accusing him of receiving “very bad advice,” while mocking his polling numbers in the presidential race.
Speaking to conservative Christians, Trump emphasized that the pro-life movement had succeeded in returning abortion regulation to the states, which he argued was always the correct legal approach. He also voiced support for in vitro fertilization, despite the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision that jeopardized access to the procedure earlier this year.
Pence, who has a long history of opposing abortion, initially supported fertility treatments due to his and his wife’s personal struggles with infertility. However, following the Alabama decision, Pence, alongside John Mize, CEO of Americans United for Life, endorsed the court’s ruling as the “morally right” decision.
Throughout his political career, Pence has consistently opposed abortion. As a House representative, he introduced legislation for three consecutive sessions aimed at preventing any entity that provides abortions from receiving Title X funds.
In a National Review op-ed, Pence wrote, “We took one crucial step closer to being a more compassionate nation the day Roe was wiped away. Now the question facing the conservative movement, and our nation as a whole, is where we go from here.”