Trump pardons anti-abortion protesters a day before annual March for Life rally
NBCJan 22
Trump Pardons Anti-Abortion Activists Prior to March
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Above: Anti-abortion activists arrive for the March for Life rally on the National Mall on Jan. 24, 2025. Image copyright: Bill Clark/Contributor/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
The Facts
US Pres. Donald Trump on Thursday signed pardons for 23 anti-abortion activists who were convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The announcement came one day before the annual March for Life rally in Washington, DC.
Lauren Handy, a prominent pardon recipient, was serving a nearly five-year prison sentence for leading a 2020 blockade at a Washington DC clinic, where protesters used locks and chains to block doors, resulting in injuries to clinic staff.
Other pardoned individuals included elderly activists in their sixties and seventies. Their sentences ranged from six to 41 months in prison for various violations of the 1994 FACE Act, which prohibits using force or physical obstruction at reproductive health facilities.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
These pardons — coming on the heels of Trump granting clemency to the Jan. 6 rioters and others convicted of violent crimes — demonstrate how Trump and the Republicans talk about being tough on crime but don't follow through when the bad actors are political allies.
Republican narrative
These pardons rectify unjust political prosecutions that targeted peaceful protesters, including elderly individuals and religious activists. These heroes were exercising their First Amendment rights and should never have been prosecuted in the first place.
