Opponents of women's rights are delighted that President Donald Trump has so far refrained from tweeting on the anti-abortion bills advancing in Republican-controlled states.
"Aides and anti-abortion advocates have been advising the president to stay out of the fray, wary that his comments and tweets could bolster the expected lawsuits challenging the new laws," Politico reported. "And White House advisers are worried that Trump wading into the controversial debate would derail negotiations with Democrats over a potential infrastructure spending package."
Trump supporter Jerry Falwell, Jr. spoke to Trump last week.
“If he came out and said something now, it would make it more likely that some federal judge would strike down what some of these states have done,” Falwell, the president of Liberty University, predicted.
“If I was in his place, I would keep my mouth shut because with these judges, if they find out he’s for something, they're against it," he argued.
Meanwhile, White House aides think Democrats will cooperate with Trump if he refrains from commenting on the subject.
"A senior administration official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said Trump has been advised not to wade into the latest clash over abortion so long as he wants to continue working with Democrats on issues like an infrastructure spending package," Politico noted. "But Trump’s stance on abortion is far from the only thing dividing the president from leading Democrats."
Read the full report.