In case anyone was wondering, Donald Trump is an equal opportunity offender. The Republican front-runner made that abundantly clear yesterday when he managed to insult people on both sides of the abortion debate with his ill-informed comments. As part of a taped town hall, Trump told Chris Matthews that the answer to abortion is "that there has to be some form of punishment... People in certain parts of the Republican Party, conservative Republicans, would say, 'Yes, it should,'" "For the woman?" Matthews asked. "Yes," Trump replied, "there has to be some form."
As soon as the leaked statement hit newswires, the campaign was facing a media firestorm, as Americans from across the political spectrum lashed out at the idea of holding women criminally liable for their decision, which comes at a time of emotional distress. Like almost everyone else, FRC was stunned. As I said last night on Fox Business (video below), I don't know a single conservative Republican who thinks that we should punish women for having an abortion. Most of the movement, FRC included, has spent decades arguing that U.S. laws should hold the abortionists accountable -- never the woman. Abortion is devastating to mothers -- physically, emotionally, and psychologically. And the idea that we treat them as villains, not victims, runs counter to everything pro-lifers stand for.
After facing a circular firing squad, Donald must have gotten the message. The Trump camp scrambled to clarify -- making three statements within three hours. Ultimately, it landed on the position that pro-lifers always held: "the doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman." Hillary Clinton wasted no time pouncing on the gift Donald Trump gave her, insisting that "the Republicans all line up together," suggesting that this is the secret position of every Republican. It was an unfortunate moment for the liberals' dream opponent. There isn't enough airtime for all of the attack ads the Left could run on Trump's soundbites. And while people admire the mogul's bluntness, it'll be difficult to find many who agree with him on this one.
We're grateful he corrected himself, but this whole incident suggests that Donald should spend more time with pro-life conservatives to gain a better appreciation of what their goals and objectives really are. Instead, he's still using the talking points the Left uses to malign conservatives -- and that does significant harm, not just to his campaign but to conservatives as a whole. As our own Ken Blackwell told USA Today, "Trump has been all over the map on issues of principle. He has established a pattern that is indicative of his inexperience." Dr. Ben Carson, meanwhile, who the Trump campaign tapped to help clean up the mess, went on CNN and made matters worse. "Bear in mind," the former candidate said, "I don't believe he was warned that the question was coming, and I don't think he really had a chance to think about it." But here's the issue most conservatives have with Trump: You shouldn't have to "expect" a question to know the issue or your position.
His opponent, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), pointed to this fundamental mistake as part of a troubling trend. "It's the latest demonstration of how little Donald has through about any of the serious issues facing this country. I am pro-life. Being pro-life means standing and defending the unborn. But it also means defending moms. Defending women. And defending the incredible gift women have to bring life into the world. And Donald's comments, they were unfortunate, they were wrong, and I strongly disagree with it."
No wonder Ted leads Trump with Wisconsin's female Republicans 39-24 percent! He understands that creating a culture of life also means creating a culture that respects women. And while Donald Trump has been amazingly resilient though months of mistakes and inconsistencies, it will be interesting to see how the country responds to another botched answer. The presidency is serious business. And the last thing conservatives need is an apprentice on core values like life.
DISCLAIMER: Tony Perkins has made an endorsement in his individual and personal capacity only, and it should not be construed or interpreted in any way as the endorsement of FRC, FRC Action, or any affiliated entity.
