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President Donald Trump praised participants in the annual March for Life on Friday, thanking tens of thousands of students, families, and faith-based advocates who traveled to Washington to support protections for the unborn.
“For 53 years, students, families, patriots and believers have come to Washington from every corner of the country to defend the infinite worth and God-given dignity of every human life,” Trump said in a prerecorded message played during the event.
Trump noted that the 2026 March for Life coincides with the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, drawing a connection to the Declaration of Independence and what he described as the founders’ recognition of the right to life as a fundamental principle.
He said the anniversary serves as a reminder that the nation’s founding ideals include the belief that all people are endowed with inherent rights that government is obligated to protect.
Six years ago, Trump became the first sitting president to attend the March for Life in person, calling the moment historic and signaling a shift in how the pro-life movement was treated at the highest levels of government.
He credited his administration with making what he described as “unprecedented strides” to protect unborn children and strengthen families, pointing to judicial appointments as a major turning point for the movement.
“In my first term, I was honored to appoint judges and justices who believed in interpreting the Constitution as written,” Trump said. He said those appointments led to what he called “the greatest victory” in the history of the pro-life movement.
Trump said the effort to promote a culture that supports life now continues at the state and community level, emphasizing that the work extends beyond legislation, court rulings, and elections.
“This is a battle that must be fought, must be won, not only in the corridors of power, but above all in the hearts and souls of the people,” he said.
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Trump also highlighted policies he said reflect his administration’s broader commitment to faith and family, including defending religious liberty, ending taxpayer-funded abortion both domestically and abroad, supporting faith-based adoption and foster care programs, and proposing a $1,000 investment account for every newborn child.
He said those initiatives are aimed at strengthening families while affirming the value of every human life.
“With your help and support, we will continue to fight for the eternal truth that every child is a gift from God,” Trump said, closing his remarks with a call for continued engagement from supporters.
For the second consecutive year, Vice President JD Vance attended the March for Life and addressed the crowd in person.
Vance spoke during a pre-march rally themed “Life Is a Gift,” which featured several high-profile speakers and drew thousands of attendees ahead of the main event.
“Under this administration, again from the president of the United States, the vice president, you have an ally in the White House now,” Vance told the crowd.
Vance said the administration has spent the past year reversing policies implemented under the previous administration that he said targeted religious expression and expanded taxpayer-funded abortion.
“We started by undoing the evils we saw under the previous administration, like throwing priests and grandmothers in prison for praying outside a clinic,” Vance said. “That’s over. We stopped it.”
He said the administration also ended policies that mandated taxpayer funding for abortions, including government-paid travel, and restored protections for religious freedom across federal agencies.
“Over the past year we’ve built steadily upon the victories of the president’s first term,” Vance said. “We have secured religious freedom in the United States of America once again.”
Vance also shared personal news during his remarks, telling the crowd that he and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, are expecting their fourth child.
