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Donald Trump Just Doubled Down on His Anti-Abortion Stance

In a letter, the Republican nominee is very clear about where he stands.

MIAMI FL  SEPTEMBER 16 US Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump speaks during a campaign event at James L....
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 16: US Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump speaks during a campaign event at James L. Knight Center on September 16, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Louis/FilmMagic)FilmMagic

It's no secret that Donald Trump has a low approval rating with female voters—just look at the Women's Empowerment Tour launched by his campaign to address it. But Trump's latest stance on reproductive rights may not help those particular poll numbers.

In a report from The Hill, the Republican nominee sent a letter to anti-abortion leaders dated "September 2016," calling on them to join his campaign's "Pro-Life Coalition." This group would be lead by Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion non-profit organization. The letter lays out a tougher stance than we've seen from Trump up to this point.

Most notably, he commits to making the Hyde Amendment permanent law, "to protect taxpayers from having to pay for abortions.” But as Rebecca Traister at The Cut points out, this will limit many women's ability to have control over their health choices. Traister writes:

"The Hyde Amendment means that American women—many of them women of color—who cannot afford health insurance are effectively prevented from availing themselves of a legal medical procedure that is their right and that is fundamental to their ability to exert autonomy over their reproductive lives and thus their economic and familial futures."

Trump also compares his stance on abortion to that of his opponent Hillary Clinton, who supports the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, a move that the Democratic Party laid out in its platform earlier this summer. Trump's letter also correctly notes that Clinton is committed to appointing pro-choice justices, but falsely claims that Clinton supports abortion until an hour before birth. In addition to making Hyde permanent law, Trump's letter says he would sign the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act that bans abortions after 20 weeks, and that Planned Parenthood would be defunded if it continued to perform abortions.

Trump's new position is sure to please his anti-abortion supporters, women among them. But women who are concerned about the state of reproductive rights as an issue in this election won't likely be won over by this clearer position.