Anti-Abortion Activists Say Republicans ‘Earned’ Midterm Defeat by Shying Away From National Abortion Restrictions

In the wake of Republicans’ midterm drubbing, abortion opponents say the GOP “earned” its resounding defeat for failing to address the issue head on.In the run-up to the election, Democrats were favored to win control of the House, and the party was cautiously optimistic about its chances of flipping control of the Senate. But as the votes trickled in on Tuesday, it became clear that Democrats were not only poised to flip control of both chambers, they were likely to win comfortable majorities. By Wednesday morning, Democrats had flipped seven Senate seats, giving them at least 54 seats, and had picked up at least 30 House seats. The elections tabulating company Decision Desk HQ projected that Democrats will have 257 seats in the next Congress. Democrats were also poised to win a majority of governorships for the first time in 16 years. The extent of the losses prompted a wave of finger-pointing among Republicans, with much of the blame being placed on President Trump. However, anti-abortion activists argued that Republicans tried to avoid the topic, and that it cost them. “Republican consultants got the campaign they wanted — and the defeat they earned. You cannot spend years telling your base to sit down and shut up, then act surprised when they don’t stand up for you on Election Day,” The president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America , Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a statement. “Republicans must stop running from the pro-life fight and start giving voters a reason to fight for them,” she added. The organization released a memo about the midterms, noting that its February poll found that 32 percent of Republican voters said they would be less enthusiastic about voting “if GOP leaders abandon pro-life policies.” The memo also said that messaging about late-term abortions shifted the margin toward Republicans in swing states. It blasted Republican leaders for distancing the party from efforts to pursue national restrictions.During the first two years of Mr. Trump’s second term, Republicans in Congress made no serious effort to pass abortion restrictions. The president had previously vowed to veto a federal abortion ban. Republicans did deliver on a ban on federal funds going to Planned Parenthood. However, the prohibition was temporary and expired last July, to the chagrin of anti-abortion activists who pleaded with Republicans in Congress to renew the ban. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America accused the FDA of delaying a review of the safety of abortion pills. It also blasted the Trump administration for declining to rescind a Biden-era rule that allowed women to obtain the pills via telehealth appointments. Ahead of the election, anti-abortion activists expressed frustration that Republican candidates largely avoided the topic in their campaigns. The Washington Sun reported that the movement had warned Republicans that the avoidance of the topic could depress evangelical turnout. A Gallup poll released on October 29 found that registered voters listed the economy and healthcare as the issues most important to them. Thirty-eight percent of voters listed abortion as the most important issue to them. On Tuesday, abortion-related issues were on the ballot in four states. Voters approved ballot measures to enshrine access to abortion in Virginia and Nevada, but Idaho’s abortion measure failed. Meanwhile, voters in Missouri rejected a ballot measure that would have repealed protections for abortion. A June 2026 Gallup poll found that 48 percent of Americans said they believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. However, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America pointed to a 2023 Gallup poll finding that 70 percent of Americans said they oppose abortion in the third trimester.The SBA argued in the memo that Republicans should develop a “pro-life position that motivates the base and wins over some of the millions of cross-pressured voters” who are not in favor of late-term abortion.

Anti-Abortion Activists Say Republicans ‘Earned’ Midterm Defeat by Shying Away From National Abortion Restrictions

Anti-Abortion Activists Say Republicans ‘Earned’ Midterm Defeat by Shying Away From National Abortion Restrictions

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