Donald Trump Names Rick Santorum and Other Top Pro-Life Catholics as Key Advisers

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 22, 2016   |   11:37AM   |   Washington, DC

Fresh from announcing a list of pro-life leaders who are advising him on issues that matter to pro-life voters, Donald Trump has named a group of pro-life Catholic leaders as additional key advisers, including pro-life former presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

The list of 33 advisers includes former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, who ran for president in 2012 and 2016 and who was a leader on pro-life issues in Congress — including the ban on partial-birth abortions. Faith Whittlesey, former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and a high-ranking political official in the Reagan White House is also on the list of pro-life Catholics advising Trump.

“The choice for Catholics in this presidential election could not be more stark,” Whittlesey said in a statement. ”

“Clinton support a breathtakingly radical cultural agenda and judicial nominees which leave no room for the legal protection of the unborn and the ability of Christians to fully and freely practice their faith that is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment,” she said. “Trump will fight for Catholics in defense of life, and their religious liberty.”

Joseph Cella, founder of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, is also involved as is Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, as well as Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback; Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union; former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R); U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, Republican of Ohio; Jim Nicholson, former Republican national chairman, secretary of veterans affairs and ambassador to the Vatican; longtime conservative leader Richard Viguerie; and Tom Monaghan of Michigan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and the Ave Maria University.

Earlier this month, Trump announced support for defunding the Planned Parenthood abortion business if it does not stop killing unborn children in abortion. Since the abortion corporation has no intention of doing so, Trump believes federal taxpayer dollars should not flow to it.

Trump also issued a issued a call to make permanent the Hyde Amendment that bans almost all federal taxpayer funding of abortions and is credited with saving the lives of over 1 million Americans from abortion. In that call is also a request for defunding Planned Parenthood — which stands in stark contrast to the essentially joint campaign Hillary Clinton and the abortion corporation are running for president. Planned Parenthood’s CEO is crisscrossing the country for Clinton and has put up $20 million for her.

The call for defunding Planned Parenthood comes in a new letter from Trump today.

“Hillary Clinton’s unwavering commitment to advancing taxpayer-funded abortion on-demand stands in stark contrast to the commitments I’ve made to advance the rights of unborn children and their mothers when elected president. I am committed to defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they continue to perform abortions and reallocating their funding to community health centers that provide comprehensive health care for women,” Trump says.

Marjorie Dannenfelser of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List heralded Trump’s call for defunding the abortion giant.

SIGN THE PLEDGE: I Pledge to Vote for a Pro-Life Candidate for President

“Not only has Mr. Trump doubled down on his three existing commitments to the pro-life movement, he has gone a step further in pledging to protect the Hyde Amendment and the conscience rights of millions of pro-life taxpayers,” Dannenfelser said. “For a candidate to make additional commitments during a general election is almost unheard of. The contrast could not be clearer between the two tickets.”

SIGN THE PLEDGE: I Pledge to Vote for a Pro-Life Candidate for President

In the document, Trump also says he plants to nominate Constitutionalist justices to the Supreme Court, signing into law a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks, and making the Hyde Amendment permanent.

“Your help is crucial to make this contrast clear in the minds of pro-life voters, especially those in battleground states,” the letter reads.

Recently, Trump released a well-received list of 11 potential Supreme Court nominees — a list pro-life groups hailed for having strong supporters of the Constitution. Trump also recently hired a key pro-life advocate has his domestic policy director.

If Trump is the nominee, he would present a stark contrast on abortion to pro-abortion Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump has specifically promised he would sign a bill as president to de-fund Planned Parenthood. In an interview with David Brody of CBN, Trump made that promise:

David Brody: “As a President Trump, if a bill came to your desk that would defund Planned Parenthood you would support that, you would sign that?”

Donald Trump: “Yes, because as long as they do the abortion I am not for funding Planned Parenthood… As long as they’re involved with abortion, as far as I’m concerned forget it, I wouldn’t fund them regardless. I would defund Planned Parenthood because of their view and the fact of their work on abortion…. I am for defunding Planned Parenthood as long as they are involved with abortion.”

As far as Trump’s comments on Planned Parenthood funding are concerned, Trump has fairly consistently said he opposes taxpayer funding but he’s also made some remarks about the “good things” Planned Parenthood does that have alarmed pro-life voters — as if any “good thing” could make up for the fact that planned Parenthood kills 330,000 unborn babies a year in abortions and then sells their body parts for profit.

Meanwhile, Trump said he thinks the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that ushered in an era of 48 million abortions was “wrongly decided.” Trump said he would appoint “very good judges” who would ultimately “change it” but he opposed Roe without specifically saying it should be overturned.

Here are some of the headlines we’ve carried at LifeNews.com in recent months that provide further details on what Trump has said regarding Planned Parenthood funding:

August 4: Donald Trump: Shut Down the Federal Government to De-Fund Planned Parenthood

August 11: Donald Trump: Planned Parenthood is an “Abortion Factory”

August 17: Donald Trump: Videos of Planned Parenthood Selling Aborted Babies Were “Disgusting,” De-Fund It

August 26: Donald Trump: Planned Parenthood is an “Abortion Factory” That Sells Baby Parts Like Automobiles

October 19: Donald Trump: “Planned Parenthood Should Absolutely be De-Funded”

December 2: Donald Trump: De-Fund Planned Parenthood and “Look Carefully at” Overturning Roe v. Wade

December 22: Donald Trump: Unless Planned Parenthood Stops Doing Abortions, We Should De-Fund It

donaldtrump54