Many of those gathered in the nation’s capital for the 53rd annual March for Life Friday hailed President Donald Trump for his accomplishments on behalf of the unborn, even as some pro-life leaders called for further action from the Trump administration to help end abortion.

“He’s done more for the pro-life movement than any president in my lifetime,” said Craig Philpot of Birmingham, Alabama, who attended his first March for Life with his wife this year.

Philpot’s sentiment appeared to be widely shared among the tens of thousands gathered on the National Mall, many of whom told the Register they were grateful for President Trump’s role in overturning Roe v. Wade.

Vice President JD Vance’s remarks at the pre-march rally, in which he highlighted the administration’s pro-life record, were met with a warm reception by the crowd.

“You know he loves and cares deeply about this movement,” Vance said, after a video message from the president was played. “It’s why he has fought for the pro-life cause and why we do it in this administration.”

The overturning of Roe v. Wade, he said, was a defining achievement. 

“Three years ago — we cannot forget — he delivered, and his Supreme Court justices delivered, the most important Supreme Court decision of my lifetime,” Vance said.

The vice president went on to list the administration’s pro-life initiatives, drawing repeated applause from the crowd. His remarks were, however, interrupted several times by small groups of demonstrators chanting, “Ban the abortion pill!”

Those interruptions underscored broader tensions within the pro-life movement. Vance’s appearance comes as several pro-life leaders have voiced disappointment with President Trump for failing, thus far, to use the full authority of his office to advance key protections for the unborn.

Chief among their concerns is the administration’s failure to restore restrictions on the abortion pill that were rolled back by President Joseph Biden, including the requirement that the abortion drug mifepristone be dispensed only after an in-person visit with a physician. Trump’s recent call for Republicans in Congress to “be a little flexible,” on the Hyde Amendment, which bars taxpayer funding of abortion, further fueled doubts about whether the administration is aligned with the movement’s priorities.

Ahead of the march, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, said President Trump had an opportunity to be a “hero” for the movement by committing to what she described as its most urgent policy priorities: action on abortion drugs and a recommitment to the Hyde Amendment. In the end, neither Trump, in his video message pledging his support for the pro-life cause, nor Vance, in his speech, would make such a commitment.

Several of the marchers the Register spoke with shared Dannenfelser’s concerns. 

Randall Terry, the founder of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, who was among those who interrupted Vance’s speech, said that he is “forever grateful” to President Trump, who he said became his hero when he nominated justices who ended Roe v. Wade. However, Terry said, Trump has the power to save lives of the unborn but hasn’t exercised it. 

“Over 60% of all babies who die from abortion are being killed by the abortion pill, and the Trump administration has the ability to rein it in or to abolish it altogether,” Terry said. “They’re in charge of the FDA and HHS. In 2019, the number of children killed was down to just over 600,000. Now, because of the abortion pill, it’s over 1.1 million,” he said.

Anne Bolenbaugh, 21, who attended the march with a group of students from Gettysburg College, said that restricting abortion-pill access should be a priority, adding that she is not sure whether Trump sees it that way.

“Obviously, we can hope and pray that he’ll do it, but I don’t know. I don’t know what’s going through his head right now,” Bolenbaugh said.

As for Vance, she thinks he could show a greater commitment to protecting the unborn.

“I’d like him to stick up for us more consistently throughout all of his policies, I think. It’s great that he showed up today, but I think in every area of his political interest, there’s room for him to be fully dedicated to the pro-life cause,” she said.

Others expressed a mix of gratitude and frustration.

Bretton White, who traveled from Fredericksburg, Virginia, with his wife Mary and their 9-month-old daughter Alice Maria, told the Register that he is heartened by Trump’s pro-life wins.

“I wish it [restoring restrictions on the abortion pill] was more of a priority for the entirety of the administration,” White said. “But honestly, it’s hard not to take the victories after so many losses in the last decade or so. I think in the last couple of years, when you’ve seen the conservative movement and the rise of Catholicism in America, it’s a bright future looking forward. I’m glad to see so many people out here looking forward to protecting life because it’s inherently valuable,” he said.

Craig Philpot, 72, and wife Kim, 65, are involved with 40 Days for Life and local pro-life efforts in Birmingham.

“We had a march in Birmingham for 30 or 40 years, and that ended with Roe v. Wade ending,” Kim said. “We started coming here because there’s no abortion in Alabama.”

Craig said he believes Trump has been the most pro-life president to date.
“Thank God we don’t have Roe v. Wade,” he said. “And hopefully we’ll have restrictions on the chemical abortion pills.”

Kim cautioned that rolling back access to abortion pills may prove difficult.

“Once you let the genie out of the bottle, I’m not sure how you get it back in,” she said. “But we can pray, and we can offer alternatives. In Birmingham, we have pro-life ministries, free ultrasounds, and resources for mothers. We try to offer a better alternative than death.”

Bill Jacquet, an 83-year-old deacon with the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said the administration should be commended for what it has done for the pro-life cause, adding that it still has fallen short. 

“Of course, they haven’t done enough,” he said. “But I’ll give them credit — they did defund Planned Parenthood for a year. I’m much more encouraged by JD Vance, and I was happy to hear he’s ready to have a fourth child.”

Charles Jenkins of Durham, North Carolina, praised the role Trump’s judicial appointments played in overturning Roe, but said the president’s support for the pro-life cause has since waned.

“I think that achievement needs to be celebrated,” Jenkins said. “But over the past year and a half, Trump has signaled that he feels his end of the deal was fulfilled. Since then, support has been weak — from pushing flexibility on the Hyde Amendment to supporting IVF and suggesting some states have gone too far in their abortion laws.”

Asked whether he expected an announcement from the Trump administration that they would seek to restrict access to the abortion pill, Jenkins said he was not optimistic.

“I wasn’t hopeful, but it would have pleased me immensely,” he said. “A small part of me hoped against hope. But ultimately, this is what I expected.”

Richard Hayden, 67, of Alexandria, Virginia, said progress takes time.

“They’ve done a lot of great things policy-wise,” Hayden said. “The biggest issue now is abortion medication. I know they’re working on it, but it takes time to undo what the last administration did.”

Hayden added that he was encouraged by what he heard from pro-life leaders the day before the march.

“They talked about a new office on family life and how committed the cabinet is,” he said. “They even mentioned that, collectively, cabinet members have 68 children — soon to be 69, with Vice President Vance’s wife pregnant.”

For some younger marchers, optimism remains strong.

Madeline Brougher, 18, of Whittier, California, who prays outside her local abortion facility, attended her first March for Life this year.
“I’m very happy with what they’re doing,” she said. “It’s in small amounts, but it will happen soon enough.”

She added that policy alone cannot resolve the issue.

“No matter what happens, people will always find a way,” she said. “We have to have faith that God will lead us. If the abortion pill is destroyed, it’s his plan. If not, we pray for those who are taking it and help them.”

Sara Hassel, 23, a student at Texas State University and vice president of her campus Turning Point USA chapter, said she shares many of the movement’s concerns about Trump but is looking to Vance as a possible future leader.

“I would like Trump to be more pro-life because it [abortion] is a murder,” Hassel said, adding that she is already thinking ahead to the next election cycle. “JD Vance has stood with the pro-life movement multiple times, and that gives me confidence looking toward 2028.”

Still, she said she remains cautious because of Vance’s support for IVF.

“That’s what throws me off,” Hassel said. “But he’s a good Christian man, and I hope that influences him. Only time will tell — we still have a few more years to see how it plays out.”

Register staff writer Gigi Duncan contributed to this report.