Donald Trump appears to be aware that his far-right policies aren't going to work in a general election against Joe Biden, so he is ready to begin moderating himself when it comes to women's rights.
Rolling Stone reporters Tessa Stuwart and Asawin Suebsaeng spoke to "people familiar" who say Trump has privately complained about anti-abortion leaders and said he should be able to do whatever he wants on the issue. He thinks they have no "leverage" to force him to do what they want.
The right-voting evangelicals are well known for mobilizing and helping elect Republican candidates and pass ballot measures, but Trump sees himself as the only game in town and doesn't want to kowtow to them anymore.
Activists are trying to get choice on the ballot in several states, which will likely mobilize evangelicals to the polls. Trump thinks they'll have no choice but to vote for him.
For his four years in office, Trump pretended to be a very faithful Christian, despite his ignorance about the Bible, Christianity and Jesus.
It was just this week that a new book revealed Trump trashed Iowa evangelicals as he was mocked for referring to the biblical chapter "Second Corinthians" as "Two Corinthians."
“When Cruz’s allies began using the ‘Two Corinthians’ line to attack him in the final days before the Iowa caucuses, Trump told one Iowa Republican official, ‘You know, these so-called Christians hanging around with Ted are some real pieces of sh-t,’” wrote reporter Tim Alberta. "In private over the coming years," Trump would “use even more colorful language to describe the evangelical community.”
According to Rolling Stone, "Trump has also mocked certain 'disloyal' and 'out of touch' leaders in the movement for tacitly supporting Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, who has failed to loosen Trump’s grip on the party, one of the sources adds."
The campaign has already turned to look past the primary elections, which haven't even been held yet, and they're focusing on the general election.
"They think they can somehow run the former president as a supposed 'moderate' (as three sources put it) on abortion," despite putting three anti-choice justices on the U.S. Supreme Court and flooding U.S. federal courts with similarly ideologically inclined judges.
Trump's top campaign adviser, Susie Wiles, is working with Trump to find a way to paint himself in a way that will make both sides happy. This comes after Trump has spent the past year bragging that Roe v. Wade was overturned because of him. It will also put Trump in a difficult position when questioned by reporters who want to know where Trump stands now. Will he support measures to enshrine choice in state Constitutions? Does he believe the government should have a role in personal medical decisions?
Rolling Stone called the idea "laughable."
American Bridge president Pat Dennis pointed to ads Trump is currently running in Iowa taking credit for bringing down Roe. They refer to him as "THE MOST Pro-Life President in history."
