U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the Congress of Tomorrow Republican Member Retreat on January 26, 2017 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the Congress of Tomorrow Republican Member Retreat on January 26, 2017 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Last week, March for Life’s PR team was touting Kellyanne Conway as the “highest ranking White House official to ever address the March.” Now they’ve landed an even bigger fish: Vice President Mike Pence.

“His appearance marks a historic moment for the pro-life movement,” said Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life. “Vice President Pence has been a friend and champion of the pro-life cause his entire career.”

Indeed, Pence has been at the forefront of the crusade, signing some of the country’s most restrictive abortion regulations as governor of Indiana. Choosing Pence as his number two helped Trump shore up support with social conservatives in the election, and rally-goers are already buoyed by the new administration, which has signaled that abortion will be a priority.

Upon taking office, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting funding for international health groups that discuss or provide the procedure, and the president has said he plans to nominate someone who is “pro-life” to the Supreme Court. In Congress, the GOP has moved to cut funding for Planned Parenthood (which already cannot use federal funds for abortion) and re-introduced a bill that would permanently bar both the federal and D.C. governments from using funds, like Medicaid, for abortions (this is currently achieved through annual riders).

In addition to Pence and Conway, other speakers at the March for Life include the Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin Watson, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Rep. Mia Love (R-UT), and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). Trump has chimed in with support from his usual Twitter perch:

Organizers expect around 50,000 attendees, though the president has already been busy inflating those numbers, too. From the Chicago Tribune:

Yet Trump insisted on the eve of the rally that the crowd would be far larger, saying “a lot of people are gonna be showing up.”

“You know, the press never gives them the credit that they deserve,” Trump told Republicans gathered in Philadelphia. “They’ll have 300, 400, 500, 600 thousand people. You won’t even read about it. When other people show up, you read big-time about it. Right? So, it’s not fair, but nothing fair about the media.”

Updated with Trump tweet

Filed Under: anti-abortion, march for life, mike pence, pence, pro life, trump's america,