Trump says he'll work "side by side" with religious group that wants to "eradicate" abortion

Donald Trump said he’ll work “side-by-side” with a newly formed religious group that wants to ban abortion if he is re-elected in November.

At its inaugural Life and Liberty Conference in Indiana on Monday, the group, dubbed The Danbury Institute, played a two-minute recording of Trump saying he will work with it to defend the values of “religious liberty, free speech, innocent life,” though he avoided using the word abortion, The Oregonian reported.

The Danbury Institute is an association of churches and organizations that says abortion is “the greatest atrocity facing the United States.” The Life and Liberty conference was held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention.

On its website, the Danbury Institute says the organization stands “for life from conception to natural death.” It advocates for “every person’s rights to be respected from the moment of conception, meaning that each pre-born baby would be treated with the same protection under the law as born people.”

“These are going to be your years because you’re going to make a comeback like just about no other group,” Trump told attendees in the recording. “I know what’s happening. I know where you’re coming from and where you’re going. And I’ll be with you side by side.”

He then urged The Danbury Institute and members of the church to vote for him in November.

“You just can’t vote Democrat. They’re against religion. They’re against your religion in particular,” Trump said.

Democrats have already criticized Trump’s connections to the group. 

“Four more years of Donald Trump means empowering organizations like The Danbury Institute who want to ban abortion nationally and punish women who have abortions,” Sarafine Chitika, a spokesperson for Biden’s campaign told the Associated Press. “Trump brags that he is responsible for overturning Roe, he thinks the extreme state bans happening now because of him are ‘working very brilliantly,’ and if he’s given the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban. These are the stakes this November.”