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In a new roundabout strategy to defeat Donald Trump in November, some Democrats are promoting an anti-abortion candidate to capitalize on the former president’s wishy-washy stance and potentially even siphone votes from the Republican ticket, according to a report.
Randall Terry launched a presidential bid as part of the Constitution Party, which touts itself as “the only national party who is 100% Pro-Life.”
Terry founded Operation Rescue, an organization known for blocking access to abortion clinics, and on his campaign website describes pro-abortion folks as “baby killers.”
As Kamala Harris and Tim Walz make reproductive rights a fixture of their campaign — and just announced a 50-stop “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour — it may seem odd that some Democrats are now aiding Terry to get on the ballot as a third-party candidate. But that is exactly what is happening, according to the New York Times.
Some Democratic donors and operatives seem to believe that Terry presents an interesting opportunity to entice conservatives who prioritize the abortion issue and steer them away from Trump, whose stance on the matter has varied.
When asked whether he thought there was a chance that Democrats were organizing his efforts without his knowledge, he told The Independent: “That is possible.” He also said he understood their thought process behind these efforts, acknowledging the former president’s flip-flopping: “Donald Trump has enraged pro-lifers...I’m very upset with Trump’s waffling.”
The Democrats’ interests, though, are at odds with his own: “I want Kamala to lose way more than I want Trump to win.”
Democrats are reportedly exploring two strategies to benefit Terry. The first is geared toward funding his ballot access. Terry has only qualified to appear on the ballot in 12 states, and only a few of those are competitive states, such as Wisconsin and Michigan.
But Democrats are focused on winning Pennsylvania, and convincing a couple of thousand voters to opt for a third-party candidate could make a big difference. The Times reported that just before the July 31 deadline to appear on the state’s ballot, an entity submitted 4,000 more signatures.
Terry told The Independent that he didn’t know who was behind the entity: “What their motivation is or was, I don’t know. And I don’t care,” he said.
Terry’s campaign manager told the Times the signatures had been filed to the Constitution Party by petitioners affiliated with an entity that promotes ballot access for third-party candidates.
However, someone with knowledge of the matter told the outlet that Democratic donors funded the effort. The group also reportedly spent about $100,000 on a consultant to aid Terry’s campaign.
Still, he didn’t qualify to appear on Pennsylvania’s ballot.
The second strategy hinges on the states where Terry is on the ballot. Democrats are aiming to use him as a ‘spoiler’ to scoop up some of Trump’s anti-abortion voter base. One progressive strategist had suggested a plan using a pro-Christian anti-abortion group Children’s Right to Life, who have legitimacy within the community, to help spread the campaign.
There are also talks of organizing up a super PAC on behalf of Terry, the Times reported.
When The Independent asked the Constitution Party’s national chairman about the Democrats’ alleged efforts laid out in the Times piece, he focused on the newspaper rather than the reported Democratic strategy: “tries to disparage anyone advancing a conservative and Constitutional cause.”
Although Terry said he understands where the strategy came from, he doesn’t believe it will work — nor does he believe in its mission.
On August 19, Terry responded to a question on Fox News Digital about his candidacy potentially siphoning away votes from Trump. He said he runs on “three Ds: defend children, defeat the Democrat nominee, destroy the Democratic party.”
Terry disagreed with the premise of the Democrats’ strategy: “For anyone who thinks that our campaign will hurt Donald Trump, I only say this: watch the [damn] ads!”
He also issued a warning to any Democrats that might fund him and his ads, including one baselessly titled “Walz is a pervert and a criminal.”
“If anyone wants to give us money to run these ads to destroy Kamala and Walz, please give. Give as generously as you can,” he said.
Democrats, however, may still think this is a viable tactic given the former president’s inconsistent views on abortion.
Trump has bragged about appointing half of the Supreme Court justices who ruled in favor of reversing Roe, claimed that he wouldn’t pass a national abortion ban if he were to return to the White House, declared that his administration would be “great” for reproductive rights and promised to force insurance companies or the federal government to cover the costs of IVF.
When asked on Thursday how he would vote on a ballot measure in Florida that would essentially undo the state’s six-week abortion ban, Trump signaled he would vote for the amendment. He called for “more weeks” and said the current ban was “too short.”
During a press call on Friday morning, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren joined reproductive rights advocates to call out Trump’s inconsistent stance, recalling when Trump said he was “proudly the person responsible” for overturning Roe.
She said: “American women are not stupid, and we know the only guaranteed protection for IVF is a new national law, which Kamala Harris supports and Donald Trump opposes. Anyone who cares about IVF will support Kamala Harris for President and Democrats for Congress.
“I can have my cake and eat it too,” Terry told The Independent. “I will help defeat and destroy Kamala and then turn to Trump and say: ‘Repent. God spared your life so that you can save babies, not betray them.’”
