The First Right Left Out

By: Laura Strietmann, Executive Director, Cincinnati Right to Life

Tuesday night, during the State of the Union address delivered by Donald Trump, millions of Americans tuned in to hear the President outline his vision for the year ahead. As he spoke about the economy, border security, crime, and America’s strength on the world stage, one critical group of Americans went unmentioned: our preborn children.’

For those of us that dedicate their lives to defending children in the womb, that silence was deafening.

Just behind the President was Cincinnati’s own Vice President, J.D. Vance — who as a Senate candidate participated in our Mini-March for Life — a man who has spoken publicly and passionately about the dignity of every human life. His presence was a reminder that Ohio has been at the forefront of defending life. Yet in one of the most significant speeches of the year, the fundamental right to life for children in the womb was not directly addressed.

At a time when chemical abortion pills now account for most abortions in America, when taxpayer dollars remain under constant threat of being used to fund abortion at home and abroad, and when state-level battles over life continue to intensify, the omission is deeply concerning.

While the President did not address the preborn in his remarks, pro-life leaders are continuing to speak clearly and courageously. Just recently, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, delivered a “State of the Unborn” address on YouTube, offering a sobering but hopeful assessment of where the movement stands.

As Dannenfelser said:

“The fight for life has never been about politics alone — it is about whether we, as a nation, recognize the humanity of the child in the womb and the dignity of every mother. The unborn are not a special interest. They are our neighbors.”

Her message was clear: the pro-life movement cannot afford to retreat or soften its commitment. The chemical abortion industry is expanding rapidly, and federal policy decisions in Washington will either protect mothers and children — or abandon them.

Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review wrote in her criticism of this week’s speech, “The president, of course, doesn’t have much to show on the pro-life front in his second term. He once needed pro-life groups and voters to get through primaries and be nominated and elected.”

And as President Trump and the Republicans seem to be abandoning the poor sweet children in the womb, polls are revealing how wrong this plan is.

Recent polling from Cygnal, a polling group, reinforces that this issue remains central to the Republican base — and the numbers are not ambiguous.

Overall:

• 80% of Republican voters — including 84% of Trump Republicans and 85% of MAHA Republicans — want the FDA to restore in-person requirements for the prescribing and dispensing of mifepristone.
• 71% — including 77% of Trump Republicans and 76% of MAHA Republicans — oppose allowing the abortion drug to be prescribed remotely and mailed.
• 74% say that allowing mifepristone to be mailed across state lines undermines red states with pro-life laws in place.
• 72% — including 73% of Trump Republicans and 74% of MAHA Republicans — oppose the FDA’s approval of a generic version of mifepristone.

In addition, Republican voters overwhelmingly support:

• Restrictions on chemical abortion drugs
• Preserving the Hyde Amendment’s protections against taxpayer-funded abortion
• Safeguards that ensure abortion policy reflects respect for life

This is not a fringe concern. It is a priority for voters who believe that the first duty of government is to protect the most vulnerable.

As our nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, we must ask ourselves: will America truly be blessed if we fail to defend those who cannot defend themselves?

Scripture reminds us that a nation is judged by how it treats the least among us. The preborn child — unseen, unheard, and entirely dependent — is the ultimate test of whether we mean what we say about human equality.

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’  Matthew 25:40

Cincinnati has long been a city that values life, faith, and family. We call on our national leaders — including President Trump and Vice President Vance — to make the protection of the preborn a visible, unapologetic priority.

Economic strength matters. National security matters. But without the right to life, every other right is built on fragile ground.

And, as we look toward July 4, 2026, may we recommit ourselves to ensuring that liberty and justice truly extend to all — born and preborn alike.

To emulate the words of my pro-life friend Kathryn Lopez,
who never shies away from proclaiming the LIFE issue
boldly and with certainty:

“I sound like a broken record, but this is the
human-rights issue of our lifetime.”

And we must start living and leading like that is true.

We hope you notice the Cincinnati Right to Life response to that call — and the hard work happening every single day because we deeply believe this is the human-rights issue of our lifetime.

You see it in our expanded sidewalk advocacy efforts, where we are present consistently and compassionately, offering real help in real time. You see it in the deployment of an ultrasound van provided by Created Equal, bringing life-affirming care directly to mothers who might otherwise never have the chance to see their child. You see it in the long hours spent rewriting pertinent and necessary legislation — even with abortion tragically enshrined in Ohio’s constitution — because surrender has never been an option.

You see it in the baby showers we host for mothers we first met on the sidewalk, celebrating life and surrounding them with ongoing support. You see it in our presentations in churches and on university campuses, forming the next generation of courageous advocates. You see it in the billboards to our south, reaching abortion tourists entering our region, and in our increased advocacy both in Washington and in Columbus, ensuring that the voices of the preborn and their mothers are heard where decisions are made. You see it in our 24-hour presence during 40 Days for Life — a visible, prayerful witness that does not waver.

This is what it looks like to refuse to be occasional. This is what it looks like to refuse to be comfortable.

For those who have remained with Cincinnati Right to Life for many years, we praise you and we thank you. Without you, our organization would not be where we are.