Former president Donald Trump has once again alienated the pro-life community, this time by suggesting Florida's ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy is "too harsh."
"If you look at what DeSantis did, a lot of people don't even know if he knew what he was doing. But he signed six weeks, and many people within the pro-life movement feel that that was too harsh," Trump told The Messenger this week.
"I'm looking at all alternatives. I'm looking at many alternatives," Trump said.
Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Evangelical leader in Iowa, reacted to the comment in a tweet saying the Iowa Caucus door "just flung wide open." Iowa governor Kim Reynolds has signed a similar six-week abortion ban in the state.
Vander Plaats, who runs the conservative activist organization the Family Leader, told me he thinks it is a "troubling stance for a presidential candidate who's trying to win a Republican primary."
He pointed to Trump's similarly troubling comments during last week's CNN town hall, in which the former president declined to say whether he would sign a federal abortion ban or what kind of abortion policy he would support.
"What I will do is negotiate so that people are happy," Trump said, while taking a victory lap for having appointed the Supreme Court justices who as part of the conservative majority voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
"We're thrilled that he was the president, that he appointed three Supreme Court justices that overturned Roe v. Wade," Vander Plaats told me. But pro-lifers are less thrilled about Trump "coming out of the midterm elections and throwing the pro-life community under the bus because of the dismal results in the midterms, instead of accepting at least part of the blame about his fingerprints on the midterms. And then saying that the heartbeat bill, he thought, was too harsh."
Last month, Maggie DeWitte, the director of Iowa pro-life group Pulse Life Advocates, told Insider that Trump's position of wanting to leave the abortion debate to the states is "completely wrong." While she noted that "we would not even be having the discussions we're having right now" if Trump had not appointed the justices who overturned Roe, she argued that he is "off the mark right now" and that Republicans should be pushing to limit abortion at both the state and federal level.
Vander Plaats said he wants to see presidential candidates with a "strong character" that is "backed up by a consistency of convictions, where we can trust you" — on any issue, but particularly on abortion.
Trump's candidacy is "concerning on a lot of levels," he said.
"Can he win the general election of 2024 or has too much of America made up their mind on the former president? When we just see a constant focus on the past, versus a compelling vision for the future. I just think there's an exhaustion and I don't think America's ready to embrace that," he said.
"That's why I think it's up to either a Governor DeSantis or a Tim Scott or a Mike Pence or a Nikki Haley or a Vivek Ramaswamy or Asa Hutchinson to rise up and say that they are the clear alternative to a Trump and that at least gives primary voters a choice," he added, though he acknowledged Trump will currently be "very difficult" to beat in the primary.
"But I think if it does narrow down to more of a one-on-one, I think there's a shot at somebody else becoming the nominee," he said.
While Trump has largely remained the front-runner among Iowa voters, a March poll suggested Iowans had lost at least some enthusiasm for the former president: The number of Iowans who said they would "definitely" vote for Trump if he were the nominee in 2024 fell more than 20 percentage points from June 2021 to March 2023.
"I just think there does come an exhaustion. . . ." Vander Plaats said. "People don't want something just to vote against. They want something to vote for. It can't just be in critic[izing] or tearing down somebody else, the art of personal destruction. It's got to be the art of a compelling vision. And that's what I think is lacking right now."
Iowans also want someone of "strong character and who is a role model [and who] parents and grandparents can point to and tell their children grow up to be like him or her."
Vander Plaats pointed to "great enthusiasm" for other candidates, including DeSantis.
DeSantis made headlines over the weekend as he interacted one-on-one with voters in Iowa, shedding his reputation as a leader who struggles with retail politicking. He made an unscheduled appearance in Des Moines at a barbecue joint on Saturday while Trump, the front-runner, canceled his own rally in Des Moines that day because of "severe weather."
"You know, he had over 300 people on a moment's notice show up. And so I think all that shows you is that Iowa is very open," he said. "They're willing to give everyone a fair shot, including the former president. I think it's about moving forward after we win in 2024, not moving backwards."
The optics of the weekend in Iowa were a win for DeSantis, who also announced a day earlier the endorsements of more than three dozen Republicans in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. The endorsements, which amounted to more than a third of the Republicans in the state legislature, were more than any GOP candidate received in 2016. One of those endorsements came from Iowa senate president Amy Sinclair, who previously served as the floor manager of Iowa's 2018 heartbeat bill.
Vander Plaats said he himself hasn't settled on a candidate to support but believes the GOP has a "very deep bench."
"It's like Bob Seger, it's time to 'Turn the Page,'" he said. "And Trump might surprise me because he might say, no, it's more like I'm 'Still the One.' So it depends what song you want to choose, but we'll let America choose that song."
DeSantis, meanwhile, defended Florida's six-week ban against Trump's criticism, saying the bill is something that "probably 99 percent of pro-lifers support."
"As a Florida resident, you know, [Trump] didn't give an answer about, 'Would you have signed the heartbeat bill that Florida did, that had all the exceptions that people talk about?'" he said.
"The legislature put it in, I signed the bill, I was proud to do it," DeSantis said, adding, "He won't answer whether he would sign it or not."
Sixty-eight percent of likely Republican primary voters support banning most abortions after six weeks, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll.
Vivek Ramaswamy has come out in support of an abortion ban "around six weeks," while Nikki Haley has said the next president must find a "national consensus" on abortion. Both Ramaswamy and Haley have spoken unfavorably about the prospect of a federal abortion ban. Asa Hutchinson, however, has said he would sign a federal abortion ban if he were elected president, but that he would support exceptions.
Tim Scott, who is expected to launch his candidacy on Monday, has said that, if elected president, he would limit abortions to "no more than 15 weeks" of pregnancy.
DeSantis has secured a number of endorsements in New Hampshire in addition to those in Iowa, as well as key endorsements in his home state of Florida.
On Tuesday, Never Back Down, the PAC backing DeSantis, announced endorsements from 51 lawmakers in the Granite State, including four legislators who previously backed Trump just weeks ago. One of those legislators, Juliet Harvey-Bolia, told NBC News that she is actually "endorsing both."
"DeSantis has a lot of promise for the future, and Trump is great now," the lawmaker said.
State representative Lisa Smart, who was also included on the list of Trump-turned-DeSantis endorsers, said in a statement that her support for Trump has not changed and accused Never Back Down of playing "games" with her endorsement.
However, Never Back Down then released a copy of an endorsement pledge signed by Smart to support DeSantis.
DeSantis also received two key endorsements in the Sunshine State on Tuesday from state senate president Kathleen Passidomo and state house speaker Paul Renner.
DeSantis is seemingly very close to launching a bid. His political operation began moving out of its Tallahassee offices and into a new location on Monday, according to CNBC. The move will likely cost more than $5,000, which would trigger a 15-day countdown for the team to file a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, the report noted.
That same day, DeSantis's press secretary, Bryan Griffin, announced his exit from the governor's office to "pursue other avenues of helping to deliver the governor's success to our country."
Mike Pence may be nearing a campaign launch, as well: Committed to America, a new super PAC supporting the former vice president, launched on Monday and will be led by Bobby Saparow, who previously managed Georgia governor Brian Kemp's reelection campaign in 2022. Former Republican congressman Jeb Hensarling of Texas and veteran GOP consultant Scott Reed will serve as national co-chairs.
"Mike Pence is the conservative leader our nation needs at this critical time," Hensarling said in a statement. "From chairing the House Republican Conference, to leading the state of Indiana, to serving as vice president, Mike has consistently demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to conservative principles and the Constitution. Mike can win, he is ready to lead, and I am proud to help lead the effort that will send him to the White House."
Former Texas governor Rick Perry surprised many on Sunday by suggesting a third presidential run is "something that I haven't taken off the table." Perry's unsuccessful 2012 run was marked by an embarrassing moment on the debate stage where he forgot the name of a government department he planned to abolish. Perry ultimately ended up leading that agency, the Department of Energy, under the Trump administration.
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