One of the largest anti-abortion organizations in the United States is openly rebelling against President Donald Trump, asserting that he has not done enough to advance their cause. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told The Wall Street Journal, "Trump is the problem. The president is the problem." Despite Trump's self-proclamation as the "most pro-life president in history," Dannenfelser and other anti-abortion advocates express deep disappointment over his lack of action following the 2022 repeal of federal abortion protections.
Demands for National Action
SBA Pro-Life America is calling for "action at the national level," Dannenfelser stated, rather than the current system where states individually enact their own abortion laws after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The organization plans to spend $160 million in the midterms and the 2028 presidential primary, as reported by the Journal. Trump began distancing himself from anti-abortion rhetoric ahead of the 2025 presidential election, claiming he would keep abortion pills accessible and veto a national abortion ban if elected.
Focus on Abortion Pills
Dannenfelser released another statement on Monday demanding the immediate firing of U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary for his "indifference" toward access to abortion pills. Abortion pills, particularly mifepristone, have become the primary target of the anti-abortion movement because patients anywhere in the country can access them via telehealth. Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom For All, told HuffPost, "The reason the mifepristone fight has become even more critical to the anti-abortion movement is because of the success of telehealth, because of the success of shield providers being able to serve more patients across the country in a way that has been really effective."
Abortion pills by mail now account for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. In a post-Roe world, where over a dozen states have extreme abortion bans, abortion rates remain the same, and in some areas have even increased due to telehealth abortion care. If anti-abortion groups succeed in banning mifepristone by mail, it would be "the first step to a national abortion ban," Timmaraju said.
Pressure Campaign on FDA
In December, a coalition of anti-abortion organizations, including SBA Pro-Life, called for Makary and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to step down following a report that the FDA is delaying a safety review of mifepristone until after the midterms. Former Vice President Mike Pence also demanded RFK Jr. step down, labeling the HHS secretary a "progressive wolf in pro-life sheep's clothing." The pressure campaign to review mifepristone, despite its 25-year safety record, was largely built around a junk science report published by an anti-abortion think tank that is an advisory board member of Project 2025—an extreme right-wing policy agenda detailing how to ban abortion nationwide, including by restricting or banning mifepristone with the help of Trump appointees in the FDA.
Judicial Actions and Political Implications
Although Trump has remained quiet on abortion, attacks on care have continued largely from judges he appointed and policy groups he has aligned with. Recently, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals—an ultra-conservative court with many far-right judges appointed by Trump—temporarily banned the mailing of mifepristone, the most sweeping blow to abortion access since the fall of Roe. The Supreme Court temporarily blocked the ban, reinstating mail access, but the case is ongoing. As anti-abortion groups push Trump to go further, pro-choice advocates believe the attacks on abortion pills will impact Republicans in the November midterms. Timmaraju said, "All of this happening right now leads to an opportunity for the Supreme Court to take this up before November. If they do that, it puts this right squarely back in folks' minds in a way that could be catalyzing for reproductive freedom champions who are on the ballot, especially those in tough races."
