Even Trump has suggested that strict abortion restrictions were a weakness for Republicans. He posted on his social media site in January that the party’s underwhelming midterm performance “wasn’t my fault” and blamed “’the ’abortion issue,’ poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother.”
“We’re part of a cult of only one personality. There is only one person that we worship. And that is the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,” he said. Among GOP candidates, Pence has actually said previously that he'd back banning abortion nationally after just six weeks of pregnancy, a timeline that falls before many women know they are pregnant.
Not everyone heeded that warning, though. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who has built his 2024 candidacy around criticizing Trump, drew boos when he said the former president is more interested in promoting himself than the country’s interests.