Most Republicans have great positions on abortion, but how does the GOP ever win elections again if this issue keeps hurting us?

GALLAGHER: A lot of people are having a field day going at Trump because of what he said to Kristen Welker as the new host. Incidentally, Tracee, our phone screener and office manager here in Tampa bay told me in a tweet or in text over the weekend, man, if this lady is the host, I give meet the press about six months of survival. It’s supposed to be the longest running news program. Tracee not so fond of Kristen Welker. Here’s what trump said. That was many think a lifeline maybe benefited governor desantis’s campaign pretty, pretty significantly.

WELKER: If a federal ban landed on your desk if you were reelected, would you sign it at 15 weeks –
Trump: Are you talking about a complete ban?
WELKER: A ban at 15 weeks.
Trump: Well, people, people are starting to think of 15 weeks. That seems to be a number that people are talking about right now.
WELKER: Would you sign that?
Trump: I would sit down with both sides and I’d negotiate something, and we’ll end up with peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years. I’m not going to say I would or I wouldn’t. I mean, [Ron DeSantis] is willing to sign a five-week and six-week ban.
WELKER: Would you support that? You think that goes too far?
Trump: I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake. But we’ll come up with a number, but at the same time, Democrats won’t be able to go out at six months, seven months, eight months and allow an abortion.

GALLAGHER: Immediately, the the anti-Trump brigade seized upon that moment and said, aha, he’s not pro-life, and I don’t accept that. You have to just look at his record. Of course, he’s pro-life, of course. And it’s it’s preposterous to suggest that. But maybe maybe that answer was sufficiently clunky. Man, I know. I think I know what he’s saying. He’s acknowledging the political peril of the abortion debate we’re having. And I think we can get to essentially an abortion free country. But we’ve got to win many elections for decades in order to get there. It’s a challenge. It’s an absolute dilemma. And I remember we would have had the red wave in 2022, there’s no doubt in my mind, had Roe v Wade not been overturned. The timing of it, if Roe v Wade had been overturned, it’s funny how things happen on God’s timetable. And for whatever reason, if Roe v Wade was overturned after the midterm election, we wouldn’t we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in today. Now, am I glad Roe v Wade was overturned? Of course I am. It’s one of the many promises made that Trump kept. Roe v Wade was horrible. There’s no federal constitutional right to an abortion. The states now get to decide. Did I love Trump’s answer? No, I didn’t. I’ll admit that. But I’m sure not going to go scorched earth and suddenly proclaim that Trump is somehow pro-choice or a Democrat or anti-life. That’s absurd. Roy’s in Spartanburg, South Carolina, eight, 20 minutes before the hour here in The Relief Factor Studios. How are you doing, Roy?

CALLER ROY: Well, Mike, how are you?

GALLAGHER: I’m great, sir. Appreciate your call today.

CALLER ROY: Yes, sir. I talked to you one time before you had Buchanan on there, and we were talking about George W. Well, welcome back.

GALLAGHER: A long time ago. Yes, sir. You’ve got a good memory. I’m glad you’ve been with us a long time. Thank you. Roy. I appreciate your loyalty.

CALLER ROY: Yes, sir. I think Trump needs to be prepared. He knows the things folks are going to go after him. Right. And I like what he his approach is. We’re going to sit down and talk about it, you know, and that is from a broader perspective, he needs to just ignore anything about the scientists or the others. Just saying that’s what they said. This is what I’m saying.

GALLAGHER: Well, that’s going to be that’s a tough challenge because he’s going to be campaigning. Roy, I mean, whether we like it or not, he’s going to be in a battle for his political survival and goodness knows he’s got so much being thrown at him right now that he’s got to keep his head above water. I don’t know that he’s going to be able to avoid DeSantis, and DeSantis can’t avoid him, although, you know, I give DeSantis credit over the weekend, some the issue of Putin came up and and DeSantis absolutely dismissed any notion that Donald Trump is a Putin stooge or a Putin puppet. DeSantis also backs Tommy Tuberville as valiant effort to hold the military accountable and get them out of the abortion business. If you are a pro-life Republican, I would think you’d appreciate what Alabama’s Tommy Tuberville is trying to do get the get the military out of the abortion business. The military has no business funding abortions. And Governor DeSantis sat down with Faith and Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed at their at their big town hall over the weekend and said the following about Senate Senator Tuberville efforts to to hold the military accountable and get them out of of the unlawful practice of funding abortion.

REED: You’ve served in the military and you’re pro-life. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, as you know, has placed a hold on certain senior appointments at the Pentagon because he objects to the Biden policy to have taxpayers pay for elective abortions for active duty military and their dependents. It’s very controversial. The media has gone after him. Is he right?

DESANTIS: Yes. I support what he’s doing. First of all, what what the Defense Department is doing is outside the law. They are breaking violating the law by by funding abortion. Torres with tax dollars. And so when agencies do that, the Congress has to stand up and push back against it. I also look and see, you know, we have a limited amount of money in a defense budget. We’re running low on ammunition. Our recruiting is in the absolute gutter now. And you’re funding abortion, tourism. Is that really something that is helping to protect this country? So we need to fight back against it. I can tell you when I’m president on day one, that policy goes into the trash can where it belongs.

GALLAGHER: It’s a great answer. He’s absolutely correct. Former Vice President Mike Pence took the same position and supported Tommy Tuberville as well. Former Vice President Pence was at the Family Research Council event over the weekend.

PENCE: And on day one, I’ll direct the Department of Defense to stop using taxpayer dollars to undermine pro-life laws in states around the country. Senator Tommy Tuberville is right, and the Pentagon is wrong

GALLAGHER: And he’s right. I mean, that’s that’s the bottom line. And some of the Republican weeping and gnashing of teeth over military promotions being held up by Senator Tuberville. It seems to me to be completely missing the point. Tuberville is right and the military is wrong. Military shouldn’t be funding abortion. They should back down. They should. They should get off of this, you know, funding people’s ability to travel, to go get an abortion if they want one. That’s not the military’s role. And the Hyde Amendment precludes that no taxpayer dollars should be funding abortions. Mike Pence is correct. He’s absolutely right. Tommy Tuberville is right. And the military is wrong.