Trump advisers strafe Hawley over new anti-abortion group
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Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) walks out of the Senate chamber last week. Photo: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump's advisers are furious with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for starting an anti-abortion group to spur new action on the issue, which the White House views as a loser for Republicans in next year's midterms.
- "Clearly, Senator Hawley and his political team learned nothing from the 2022 elections, when the SCOTUS abortion ruling [overturning Roe v. Wade] resuscitated the Democrats in the midterms," a close Trump adviser told Axios.
Why it matters: Trump's lieutenants believe the move by Hawley — a vocal populist who speaks up for the working class — is part of a plan to position himself to challenge Vice President Vance for the presidency in 2028.
Zoom in: Trump and establishment Republicans have been downplaying abortion rights as a top national issue since the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion in 2022 — a decision that antagonized many suburban swing voters.
- In Gallup polling last May, 51% of Americans described themselves as pro-choice and 43% called themselves pro-life.
Last week, Hawley revealed to Axios' Stef Kight that he and his wife, Erin Hawley, a fellow constitutional lawyer, are launching a dark-money group called the Love Life Initiative.
- The group — which under the law doesn't have to disclose its donors — aims to support anti-abortion state ballot measures and fund TV ads, potentially during the Super Bowl.
- "We think that there needs to be a ... strong voice advocating for life," Hawley told Axios.
- Trump aides say they got no heads-up about Hawley's plans, and were steamed when they read our story.
Between the lines: The split shows the tension over abortion between Trump and traditional conservatives, who are more animated over the issue.
- Trump privately views abortion through an electoral lens. He is more pragmatic than ideological, and believes stringent abortion laws turn off independent voters whose support the GOP needs to win elections — particularly suburban women.
- Trump has told aides that swing district Republicans who advocate for anti-abortion measures will have a hard time winning midterm races.
A second Trump adviser who's deeply involved in midterm strategy said the GOP needs to focus instead on "aggressive action focused on positive gains in the economy."
- "That alone will be the driving force behind the next election," the adviser said. "Picking a fight on an issue like abortion in a midterm is the height of asinine stupidity."
A Hawley spokesperson declined to comment.
The backstory: Trump's "20 core promises" from the 2024 campaign don't specifically mention abortion. The longer 2024 GOP platform says: "Republicans Will Protect and Defend a Vote of the People, from within the States, on the Issue of Life."
- In 2024, Trump rejected overtures from conservatives who wanted him to support a federal ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Instead, he said individual states should decide. The president and his team believed a 15-week ban would lead to massive electoral blowback.
- A third Trump adviser said the president "showed the way forward and how to win on this issue in 2024."
- Two additional Trump lieutenants were incensed that OnMessage — a well-connected Republican consulting firm that represents Hawley and is advising the party's House campaign arm — would allow Hawley to go forward with his plan.
- An OnMessage representative declined to comment.
Zoom out: Hawley is part of a trifecta of potential 2028 aspirants who've shown a willingness to defy the White House.
- Hawley, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul have called for the release of government files related to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Trump, a one-time Epstein friend, opposed releasing the documents.
Go deeper: Hawleys launch dark-money group to revive anti-abortion politics.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say Trump rejected overtures from conservatives who wanted him to support a federal abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy (not six weeks).
