According to Breitbart News, Former President Donald Trump has promised to release pro-life activists imprisoned under current administration policies if he is re-elected.
During an event on June 22 for the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Trump pronounced his intentions to pardon individuals like Paulette Harlow, a 75-year-old pro-life protester. Harlow was sentenced for her actions during a 2020 protest at a Washington D.C. abortion clinic under violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Harlow, who has been suffering from declining health, received a 24-month sentence. Before her sentencing, she was placed under house arrest due to her frail health condition. Her attorney, Allen Orenberg, expressed deep concerns about her capacity to survive imprisonment, stating she requires continual support, particularly from her husband.
"Paulette is one of many peaceful pro-lifers who Joe Biden has rounded up, sometimes with SWAT teams, and thrown in jail. Many people are in jail over this. ... We’re going to get that taken care of immediately — [on the] first day," Trump asserted at the event.
Trump criticized the current administration for what he sees as a discriminatory stance against Christians and pledged the creation of a task force dedicated to investigating and countering such biases.
In a previous year's speech at the Pray Vote Stand Summit, Donald Trump delineated a pattern of what he described as unjust treatment towards pro-life activists. He contrasted the harsh penalties handed down to these individuals with lighter or non-existent penalties for members of groups involved in violent protests across various U.S. cities.
As he articulated in his speech, the former president finds these disparities in sentencing to reflect political discrimination, a stance he plans to challenge by reviewing and potentially pardoning every individual he considers a "political prisoner" of the Biden administration's policies.
The planned review task force aims to ensure that those involved in pro-life activism, and by extension, broader Christian communities, are shielded from what Trump considers systematic political repression.
In trumpeting his agenda for Christian rights, Trump stated, "We will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, in our hospitals, and in our public square."
On his proposed first day back in office, Trump's plan envisions immediate action to begin the release process for these imprisoned activists. Critics and supporters alike anticipate broad legal and political ramifications from such sweeping pardons, reflecting the depth of the national divide on pro-life issues.
In his critique, Trump compares the sentences of pro-life activists to those who have participated in violent demonstrations in cities such as Portland, Minneapolis, and Seattle.
"Under Biden, others are being sentenced to 10, 15, and even 20 years in prison for retribution for their political beliefs, while Antifa and other groups burned down cities... They kill people, they loot, they plunder, and they go free.”
In summarizing, Donald Trump's announcement underscores a stark approach to what he deems political persecution under the Biden administration. Through promises of investigations, pardons, and protective measures, Trump aims to pivot the national conversation on civil liberties toward his vision of justice and freedom, especially about the pro-life movement and broader Christian community rights.
