Are Trump and Vance softening their stance on abortion as the election nears?by Mark M. Bello
The Trump/Vance Abortion Scam
Donald Trump is now in an uphill battle to win the 2024 election. He senses a loss, so he has developed a new strategy: The kinder, gentler Trump and Vance. The former president and his VEEP candidate, J.D. Vance, are now publicly softening their positions on reproductive rights and peddling this baloney across the country. But don’t be fooled. It’s the Trump/Vance abortion scam.
We first heard this during the vice-presidential debate when Vance denied that he ever supported a national abortion ban (a bald-faced lie) but came to realize that people do not trust Republicans on the issue of reproductive rights.
“You know, one of the things that changed: In the state of Ohio, we had a referendum in 2023, and the people of Ohio voted overwhelmingly, by the way, against my position . . . I think that what I learned from that . . . is that we’ve got to do a better job winning back people’s trust.”
Trump’s wife, Melania, has written a memoir about her views on a woman’s right to choose. She writes that a woman should have the “authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”
She also writes:
“Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body?” A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty to her own life grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”
Many, including me, believed this represented a rift between Melania and her husband. But what if it doesn’t? Donald responded to her book announcement and said he told her:
“I’m not going to tell you what to do.”
Funny, Donald, you don’t mind telling millions of other women what they can or cannot do with their bodies. But here’s his other kinder, gentler comment:
“Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it, because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters . . . Like Ronald Reagan before me, I fully support the three exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.”
Donald? This, from the man who boasted that he overturned Roe v Wade and did what “everyone” wanted? Holy cow, ladies and gentlemen, these people are terrific liars. Here’s a scenario for you:
What if it’s all a scam?
Donald Trump faces a crucial challenge in balancing his support among strongly conservative and swing states that could ultimately decide the election. The core of his base includes states like Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. These states are deeply rooted in conservative ideology and are largely anti-abortion. Many of these states have either passed or would pass outright bans on abortion, solidifying their stance on a critical issue for the Republican base. These states have locked in for Trump. Voters will not shift away from him, regardless of his stance on abortion or other vital social issues.
Trump also knows that to win the presidency, he must capture swing states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and North Carolina. These states represent a more complex political landscape—voters are not conservative on issues like abortion. The devious strategy is to appeal to these voters, who might still lean conservative but hold more moderate or progressive views on reproductive rights. Melania writes a book that fully supports a woman’s right to choose. Vance suggests that the GOP should modernize its position on abortion, and Trump says he’s always believed in exceptions. Sounds good, no? But what if it is a calculated political move? In other words, what if it’s a bunch of crap?
While Vance and Trump would still maintain their core beliefs in private, they present a more moderate, perhaps even deceptive, public face to appeal to swing voters. Vance’s remarks during the vice-presidential debate reflect this tactic, as he framed the issue of abortion not as an outright ban but rather as a matter of modernization and evolution in the party’s stance. This “modernization” is a strategic illusion designed to temper the GOP’s hardline image without shifting the party’s core platform.
This approach is built on political pragmatism. In states like Wisconsin and Michigan, many voters (probably a majority) are not on board with the extreme anti-abortion rhetoric that resonates so strongly in the base states. These voters may be fiscally conservative or aligned with the Republican Party on other issues like immigration or economic policy but are more likely to support abortion rights.
In these states, a hardline anti-abortion stance alienates key voters and could tip the scales in favor of the Democrats. So, Melania writes and releases a book, just in time for the election, and Trump and Vance alter their rhetoric to appear moderate on abortion while still signaling to their base that they remain committed to the conservative cause.
Florida, Georgia, and Arizona are intriguing in this scenario. These states might lean toward passing an abortion ban, but they face constitutional hurdles or a narrow majority of voters who still hold reservations. In Florida, for example, the state’s constitution provides some protections for reproductive rights, making it difficult for Republicans to impose an outright ban without significant legal challenges. Similarly, in Georgia and Arizona, there is enough voter skepticism—despite their overall conservative leanings—that pushing a strict abortion ban could backfire in an election.
Threading the Needle
Trump and Vance are the most experienced and prolific liars in modern political history. The entire MAGA movement is premised on what we all know as “THE BIG LIE.” On-the-fence voters must recognize that the softening of Trump’s and Vance’s (and Melania’s) positions on abortion is nothing but a political ploy.
To win swing states, they must appear flexible on critical social issues like reproductive rights. Their conservative base is in on the scam—red-state voters know they’re hardliners. Deception is nothing new in American politics. Candidates publicly downplay their true intentions to win over more moderate or undecided voters publicly. In this case, the Republican Party is engaging in a strategic lie—presenting itself as evolving on the issue of abortion while continuing to pursue policies that restrict or ban it outright.
For Trump, winning the presidency again requires threading the needle between these two factions of his voter base. On the one hand, he cannot afford to alienate the profoundly conservative states that form the bedrock of his support, as these states are critical for his Electoral College strategy. On the other hand, he must also win over swing states where voters may have more progressive views on abortion and other social issues. By softening his position—or at least appearing to do so—on abortion, Trump hopes to appeal to a broader range of voters in crucial battleground states while still retaining the support of his core base.
In the end, this strategy relies on the hope that a more moderate tone on abortion will sway voters in these swing states without realizing the deception at play. Trump and his allies will continue to push for anti-abortion policies, but they will do so in a way that downplays the severity of these policies during the campaign. This balancing act is crucial to Trump’s reelection strategy, as he seeks to unite a divided Republican Party and appeal to hardline conservatives and more moderate voters in swing states. Will this strategy succeed?
Unfortunately, this depends on whether moderate or independent voters have a working bullshit meter. The suggestion that J.D. Vance won the recent VEEP debate when every answer he gave was a lie causes me to wonder. We must not be deceived by lies and position softening four weeks before the election.
A Clear and Present Danger
These guys still pledge allegiance to Project 2025, not the American flag. They’re still election deniers. They’re anti-immigrant, anti-freedom, anti-diversity, anti-voter access, anti-climate, and anti-healthcare for all. They are pro-billionaire and anti-middle class on the economy and tax relief. Worse, they believe that the January 6th insurrectionists are “patriots.” They are a clear and present danger to our country, and voters must repudiate them at the ballot box.
On Tuesday, November 5th, voters who wish to move forward, save America, and end the chaos have only one clear choice: Whether progressive, moderate, conservative, Democratic, or Republican, we must take one for Team America and vote Democratic across the board.
Mark M. Bello is an attorney and author of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series and children’s social justice/safety picture books. He also hosts the popular bi-weekly podcast, Justice Counts (https://www.spreaker.com/show/justice-counts_1). Mark’s books may be found at all online booksellers and on his website, at https://www.markmbello.com.