Pro-Life Leaders Push Back after Trump Urges ‘Flexibility’ on Pro-Life Hyde Amendment
Michael Foust
Audio By Carbonatix
By Michael Foust, Crosswalk.com
Leading members of the pro-life community are expressing concern after Donald Trump suggested Republicans should be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment, a long-standing pillar of the movement that bars the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions.
Although Trump campaigned as a supporter of the Hyde Amendment, he struck a more tentative tone Tuesday, telling House Republicans they “have to be a little flexible on Hyde” during negotiations over health care legislation.
“You know that you got to be a little flexible. You got to work something. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work,” Trump said.
The Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision dating to the 1970s that bars federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. First enacted in 1976, just a few years after the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, it passed a Democratic-controlled House and Senate and has been renewed repeatedly with the support of nearly every Republican and Democratic president since – including Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Although Joe Biden opposed it, Congress nevertheless passed budget resolutions keeping it on the books.
Pro-life groups were quick to push back on Trump’s proposal.
“For decades, opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion and support for the Hyde Amendment has been an unshakeable bedrock principle and a minimum standard in the Republican Party,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America. “To suggest Republicans should be ‘flexible’ is an abandonment of this decades-long commitment. If Republicans abandon Hyde, they are sure to lose this November.”
BREAKING: Trump calls to make the Hyde Amendment “flexible,” potentially opening the door to taxpayer-funded abortion.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) January 6, 2026
The GOP must stand firm for human life.⁰
No exceptions. No inch given.
If you sacrifice Hyde, you sacrifice innocent human children. pic.twitter.com/2oI4fJk0o0
Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, also spoke out.
“The GOP must stand firm for human life. No exceptions. No inch given,” Rose said. “If you sacrifice Hyde, you sacrifice innocent human children.”
BREAKING: Trump calls to make the Hyde Amendment “flexible,” potentially opening the door to taxpayer-funded abortion.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) January 6, 2026
The GOP must stand firm for human life.⁰
No exceptions. No inch given.
If you sacrifice Hyde, you sacrifice innocent human children. pic.twitter.com/2oI4fJk0o0
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, urged pro-lifers in Congress to stand firm.
“Hyde must be included in any Obamacare reform bill,” she wrote, “or it will be a pro-abortion vote.”
Hyde must be included in any Obamacare reform bill or it will be a pro-abortion vote. https://t.co/Qy7Y03nBNt
— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) January 6, 2026
Related Article
Trump Signs Landmark Order Banning Federal Support for Child Gender Transitions
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Andrew Harnik/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
