Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
History and Religion
Abortion Declines Under Trump (Surprise, New Pro-Lifers!)

Abortion Declines Under Trump (Surprise, New Pro-Lifers!)

Last updated on: November 22, 2021 at 4:30 pm by Dave Armstrong

Abortion Declines Under Trump (Surprise, New Pro-Lifers!) 2021-11-22T16:30:44-04:00 Dave Armstrong

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The new pro-life movement is, basically, leftists and Democrats who are pro-life — I don’t deny at all that they are — and who like to run down what they call the “old pro-life movement” and those who push policies that they too often mock as not really pro-life: by derogatorily using quotation marks around the title: “pro-life”. They have been falsely claiming for years that abortions rise during Republican administrations and go down during Democrat ones. This is untrue, and I have refuted it several times:

Debate: How Pro-Life is the Republican Party (Especially the Leadership)? [5-8-17]

Do Democratic Presidents Cause Fewer Abortions to Occur? [National Catholic Register, 2-28-18]

Debate: SCOTUS & GOP in Relation to Abortion Rates [11-15-18]

Debate: Do Liberal Social Policies Lessen Abortion & Poverty? [5-19-19]

No one need merely take my word for this. Liberal and pro-abortion organizations and websites freely admit it as well. For example, the liberal fact-checking site, Snopes, published an article, “Abortion Rates Fall During Democratic Administrations and Rise During Republican Ones” (11-11-16). That is, the title was the proposition under consideration. Snopes deemed it to be a “false” statement and observed:

It is plain to see that abortion rates have risen (prior to their peaking in the mid-1980s) and fallen under both Democratic and Republican administration, suggesting little to no correlation with whichever political party controls the White House. The overall trend since the 1980s has been a fairly consistent decline across through administrations of both parties.

It would be easy to demonstrate that abortion rates have not risen under Democratic administrations in the last several decades, but it would be false to argue that declines in abortion rates are an exclusive feature of Democratic presidencies. The claim that abortion rates fall under Democrats, while true, ignores the fact that rates have also continued to decline through Republican administrations as well.

“U.S. Abortion Statistics” reports the numbers of abortions in recent years, according to the pro-abort Guttmacher Institute:

2014 926,240

2015 913,000 [1.5% decline from the previous year]

2016 890,000 [2.6% decline from the previous year]

2017 862,320 [3.1% decline from the previous year; 7% decline since 2014]

Note that 2017 was President Trump’s first year in office. The abortion rates continued to decline, and at an even greater rate. We see that the rate was accelerating during Obama’s last year in office as well, but the 2017 rate of decline was twice as much as the 2015 rate. This supports the Snopes conclusion: a decline is occurring during both Republican and Democrat administrations. It’s certainly not at all the case that the decline has stopped or reversed under Trump. Now we have the statistics to prove that, and it puts the lie to new pro-life rhetoric (examples of which I will provide below) in this regard.

I have contended that a primary (but not sole) cause of the decline is the large amount of abortion restrictions put in place: mostly at the state level, and overwhelmingly by Republicans, with minimal or literally no cooperation from Democrats in most states (save a very few like Louisiana, where a Democrat can actually be pro-life and get elected). Again, statistics on the number of regulations can be obtained from Guttmacher Institute (lest we be accused of exaggerating and fudging the facts). Guttmacher reports the facts of these restrictions, even in an article (from 9-18-19) that expressly denies that they are a prime cause of the decline:

The question of what is behind these trends has important policy implications, and the 2011–2017 period warrants particular attention because it coincided with an unprecedented wave of new abortion restrictions. During that timeframe, 32 states enacted a total of 394 new restrictions, with the vast majority of these measures having taken effect (that is, they were not struck down by a court).

Another Guttmacher article from September 2019 stated:

Despite existing precedents, states have continued to find ways to restrict or ban abortion, enacting more than 227 restrictions between January 2014 and June 2019. More than a dozen cases challenging some of the most extreme restrictions—such as bans on abortions after six weeks’ gestation—currently have the potential to reach the Supreme Court, and the outcomes could pose significant challenges to the legal framework protecting abortion rights.

Yet another Guttmacher article from the same month observed that the 2017 rate was an “historic low” and that:

The abortion rate in 2017 was 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44, down 8% from 14.6 per 1,000 in 2014. This is the lowest rate ever observed in the United States; in 1973, the year abortion became legal, the rate was 16.3.

Pro-lifers who vote Democrat, thinking it the more “pro-life” vote, are useful idiots for the pro-abort cause. This is precisely what is so scandalous about it. The pro-aborts love pro-lifers who “reason” as these people do. The pro-aborts know who their champions are: the folks who will promote and further their agenda. Hence, Planned Parenthood gave Hillary Clinton its (first-ever!) “Champion of the Century” award, and NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) gave Killary its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Again, they know who will promote their agenda. They’re immoral and proponents of wicked evil, but they’re not idiots. But useful idiot pro-lifer actually doesn’t know who promotes abortion and who does not, and winds up voting for the pro-abort champions and heroes, and insanely pretend that that will lower abortion and create a greater culture of life. It’s one of the greatest self-delusions ever seen: in the political arena or anywhere else.

New pro-lifer and Democrat Mark Shea is equally delusional and stubbornly defiant, in the face of the above indisputable facts:

[A]nybody who thinks the Cult of Trump is the “prolife party” is a delusional fool.

There are two parties. One is the party that is 100% responsible for appointing the SCOTUS judges who gave us Roe . . . [my bolding] (“Some Elementary Catholic Moral Reasoning” – 1-10-20)

The latter claim is demonstrably false. Is Mark incapable of doing rudimentary investigative research? Of the seven men who signed on to Roe v. Wade and legal child murder in 1973, two were Democrat-appointed: William O. Douglas (by FDR in 1939), and Thurgood Marshall (by LBJ in 1967). Moreover, of the two dissenters, William Rehnquist was appointed by Nixon just a year earlier, and Byron White by JFK in 1962. So the two pro-lifers in the fateful case were split between the parties.

And while the GOP appointees have been by no means perfect, several of them have ruled in a pro-life manner, whereas no Democrat appointee since Byron White, appointed 58 years ago, has done so. So once again, whatever pro-life gains have come from the Supreme Court (just as those from Congress and state legislatures and administrations), have been overwhelmingly from Republican appointees. But Mark is too blind and too much of a useful idiot himself to see this. Mark continues to rave against demonstrable reality:

And above all, they [Republicans] have consistently advocated policies which tend to drive the demand for abortion up, not down.

In short, there is no prolife party. Stop lying to yourself that there is. There are two parties that support the right to an abortion. One of them supports a host of evils and anti-human policies in addition to abortion. The other party is the Democrats. . . .

I will not only vote Dem in November with a clear conscience, but with a sense of obligation before Almighty God to do so. The Dems are the only party capable of stopping the gravest domestic threat we have faced in my lifetime. And now the Cult of Trump have formally joined the ranks of grave international threats as well.

This nonsense has been refuted above (and in other articles of mine).

***

Ten Reasons Why Pro-Lifers Vote for Pro-Aborts [10-29-08]

Reply to Democrats for Life [5-1-12]

“Pro-Lifers” Vote for Childkillers? Huh?! (Reductio ad Absurdum) [3-3-16]

“How Can a Catholic Vote for Trump?!!?” [5-28-16]

Catholic Lawyer Huge Hewitt’s Case for a Trump Vote Based on the Future of the Supreme Court (+ Part Two / Part Three) [8-14-16]

On Trump & the “Supreme” Pro-Life Cause [8-16-16]

Dialogue: Conservatives & “Old” Pro-Lifers & the Poor [10-3-16]

Dialogue with Deacon Steven Greydanus on Voting & Pro-Life [11-8-16]

“Trump Ain’t Really Pro-Life” [1-24-17]

“Lessen Evil” Votes for Hillary? [note: Mark Shea did not vote for Hillary, but he urged people in swing states to do so] (vs. Mark Shea) [4-7-17]

Simcha Fisher’s “New” Pro-Life Critique of “Old” Pro-Lifers [Simcha did vote for Hillary Clinton] (+ vigorous Facebook discussion) [8-2-17]

Are “Old” Pro-Lifers Racists & “Anti-Woman”? (vs. John Cavanaugh-O’Keefe) [8-30-17]

Good Christians Can Support Trump (Amazingly Enough)! [7-21-18]

Are Trump & His Supporters Nuts & Evil? (vs. Mark Shea) [9-6-18]

Dialogue on Conservative vs. Liberal Pro-Life Voting [2-9-19]

Could God Possibly Use Trump, Like Queen Esther? . . . and Like He Used Balaam’s Ass, Jonah’s Whale, King Cyrus, and the Babylonian Heathen King, Nebuchadnezzar (Not to Mention Adulterous Murderer, David)? [3-23-19]

Explaining the Pro-Life, Christian Vote for Trump Yet Again [4-30-19]

Dialogue: Christian Witness, Trump, & Prudential Voting (vs. Deacon Steven D. Greydanus) [5-10-19]

***

Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 3,900+ free online articles (the most comprehensive “one-stop” Catholic apologetics site) or fifty books have helped you (by God’s grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them.

Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. I’m always in need of more funds: especially monthly support. “The laborer is worthy of his wages” (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a full-time Catholic apologist, and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog.

PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. You’ll see the term “Catholic Used Book Service”, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million from the bottom of my heart!

***

Photo credit: [publicdomainvectors.org]

***

Life Issues

Abortion

Bible & abortion

bleeding-heart liberalism

Childkilling

Christianity & abortion

new pro-life movement

Previous Post

January 9, 2020

Dialogue: Jesus, Peter, Elijah & Elisha Prayed for the Dead

Next Post

January 10, 2020 In What Century Did the Title, "Catholic Church" Begin?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category & Last Things About Me Anti-Catholicism Atheism & Agnosticism Baptism and Sacramentalism Bible and Tradition Blessed Virgin Mary Books by Dave Armstrong C. S. Lewis Calvinism & General Protestantism Catholic Apologetics Catholic Apologists Catholic conversion Catholic converts Christmas Church (Ecclesiology) Church History Conversion and Converts Development of Doctrine Eastern Orthodoxy Ecumenism & Christian Unity Eucharist & Liturgy Fathers of the Church French Translations G. K. Chesterton Hell Hell & Satan Hell & Satan & Last Things Heresies & Comparative Religion Holistic Health Inquisition & Crusades & Scandals James White Jews & Judaism & Old Testament John Calvin John Henry Newman Liberal / Modernist Theology Life Issues Literary Resume Lutheranism Mariology Martin Luther Music Orthodoxy Papacy & Infallibility Personal Page Philosophy & Science Political & Ethical & Moral Issues Protestant Persecution & Intolerance Protestantism Purgatory Purgatory & Penance Romantic & Imaginative Theology Saints & Purgatory & Penance Salvation Salvation & Justification Satan & Last Things Sexuality and Gender Issues Spanish Translations Traditionalism vs. Radical Catholic Reactionaries Traducciones al español / tradução para português Trinitarianism & Christology Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 April 2010 March 2010 December 2009 October 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 March 2009 February 2009 October 2008 September 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 May 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 October 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 July 2004 May 2004 April 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz