Trump Sidelines Abortion and Same-Sex Marriage at Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference

On Friday in Washington, D.C., the Faith and Freedom Coalition convened its annual “Road to Majority” conference. President Donald Trump delivered the headline address, emphasizing “protecting life” and “traditional marriage” in the event’s promotional material. In his remarks, Trump did not mention abortion, the 2022-overturned Roe v. Wade decision, or the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling on same-sex marriage, despite the coalition’s historic focus on those issues.

CNN

Since his 2024 election, Trump has treated abortion and LGBTQ + issues as political liabilities, opting to concentrate on foreign policy and broader domestic agendas. Evangelical activists, who helped secure his return to the White House, have grown uneasy about the silence but have largely avoided public pressure, aware of Trump’s sway over their voter base.

CNN

• President Donald Trump – headline speaker, avoided cultural-war topics.

CNN

• Kelsey Pritchard, spokeswoman, SBA Pro-Life America – outlines a $80 million 2028 election spending plan.

CNN

• Ralph Reed, Faith & Freedom founder – praised Trump for shaping “the most conservative Supreme Court in over a century.”

CNN

• James Uthmeier, Florida Attorney General – labeled commercial surrogacy “modern day slavery.”

CNN

• JD Vance, Vice President – addressed the pending review of abortion medication.

CNN

• Steve Deace, conservative talk-show host – warned that ideological battles will re-emerge after Trump.

CNN

• Gallup reports same-sex marriage support peaked at 71 % of adults in 2022, then declined for three consecutive years.

CNN

• Moral-acceptance metrics such as out-of-wedlock births have fallen, while birth-control approval is at its lowest point in fifteen years.

CNN

• SBA Pro-Life America intends to spend $80 million in the 2028 presidential cycle to back candidates with a “bold and clear position on abortion.”

CNN

• The coalition’s leadership highlighted Trump’s judicial legacy but omitted any reference to the Roe decision.

CNN

• Republican House members introduced legislation targeting commercial surrogacy, echoing Uthmeier’s claim that the practice is “modern day slavery” and must be stopped.

CNN

• JD Vance told a conservative podcast that the administration is reviewing FDA regulation of abortion medication and urged a pragmatic approach before advancing policy.

CNN

• SBA Pro-Life’s plan emphasizes early positioning in Iowa and South Carolina primaries to force GOP nominees to adopt a nationwide abortion cutoff.

CNN

• Marcus Kindley (North Carolina) urged persuasion over coercion, saying, “What we should do is stand up for our beliefs, our religious beliefs, but I think that forcing it down people’s throat is not going to work.”

CNN

• Pam Chester (Georgia) warned that abandoning cultural issues could allow them to be “reversed or undermined.”

CNN

• Steve Deace warned that “We’re never going to have a personality like Trump again … that combination of brand and political power will never rest in the hands of one figure ever again,” suggesting upcoming ideological skirmishes.

CNN

• Younger conservatives, according to Deace, are “far more militant” and likely to push cultural battles into the 2028 primaries.

CNN

The resurgence of anti-abortion spending, renewed challenges to same-sex marriage legal foundations, and emerging surrogacy restrictions signal a strategic shift. Republican candidates may be compelled to adopt explicit cultural positions to win early-state contests, potentially reshaping the party’s platform and influencing legislative agendas at both state and federal levels.

CNN

• Trump’s public remarks contain no explicit stance on abortion or same-sex marriage, leaving activists without a clear policy direction.

CNN

• No concrete legislative outcomes have been reported for the proposed surrogacy restrictions, and the FDA review of abortion medication remains undefined.

CNN

• “We’re being clear early on … if you want to win in Iowa and South Carolina and to be the GOP nominee and become president, you have to have a bold and clear position on abortion and commitment to life,” — Kelsey Pritchard, SBA Pro-Life America spokesperson

CNN

• “What we should do is stand up for our beliefs, our religious beliefs, but I think that forcing it down people’s throat is not going to work,” — Marcus Kindley, Guilford County activist

CNN

• “We still cannot take our finger off those issues because they could easily be reversed or undermined if we take our eyes completely off those issues,” — Pam Chester, Georgia activist

CNN

• “We have to win the argument and then we can save the lives of many unborn kids.” — JD Vance, Vice President

CNN

• “We’re never going to have a personality like Trump again — that combination of brand and political power will never rest in the hands of one figure ever again,” — Steve Deace, talk-show host

CNN

Activists plan to mobilize ahead of the 2028 presidential primaries, targeting Iowa and South Carolina with abortion-focused messaging. Legislative proposals on commercial surrogacy are expected to advance in state houses, while the Republican Party’s cultural-war strategy will likely be a central theme in upcoming campaign cycles.

CNN