Trump-backed GOP platform softens same-sex marriage and abortion stance, Internet calls it 'red herring'

WASHINGTON, DC: The 2024 election platform of the Republican Party abandoned its decades-long persistent effort for a federal ban on abortion and softened its position on same-sex marriage. The GOP killed its longstanding views at the insistence of former president Donald Trump ahead of the upcoming Republican National Convention (RNC).

"The reality of the situation is, this platform reflects modern day realities," an anonymous platform committee member told NBC News. "This is a position that leaves it up to the states, which is the position of the Republican Party," they added.

The GOP's paradigm shift revealed on Monday, July 8, came after President Joe Biden laser-focused his campaign on individual rights, including warnings of a potential nationwide abortion ban if Trump enters the White House for a second term.

This comes as a major change since the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022, leaving the right to form abortion laws for individual states. Since then, a majority of Republican-led states severely restricted abortion access.

GOP draft platforms signal change in approach to abortion and same-sex marriages

"We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights," the party's draft platform read, according to the New York Post.

However, it signaled pride in overturning Roe v Wade and insisted on its opposition to late-term abortions, but added it would support mothers and policies for advanced prenatal care, birth control access, and IVF.

In April, Trump refused to endorse a national abortion ban if elected in November and left it to the states instead.

The new language is extremely different from the 2016 platform that urged for "a human life amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to children before birth."

Moreover, the RNC ditched the previous stance that opposed the Supreme Court ruling guaranteeing the right to same-sex marriage nationwide in 2015.

The 2016 platform had deemed the Obergefell v Hodges decision "lawless" that deprived 320 million Americans of their rightful constitutional power to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The 2024 platform does not include the language of marriage as a union "between one man and one woman" but promotes it as a "culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessing of childhood, the foundational role of family, and supports working parents."

Trump hailed the 2024 GOP platform on Truth Social, thanking Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn and Vice Chair Michael Waltz of the Rules Committee. 

"The 2024 GOP Platform to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN was overwhelmingly approved by the Rules Committee - Thank you to Chairwoman Marsha Blackburn and Vice Chair Michael Waltz for their tireless work to PUT AMERICA FIRST. Ours is a forward-looking Agenda with strong promises that we will accomplish very quickly when we win the White House and Republican Majorities in the House and Senate. We are, quite simply, the Party of Common Sense!" Trump wrote in the post.

"America needs determined Republican Leadership at every level of Government to address the core threats to our very survival: Our disastrously Open Border, our weakened Economy, Inflation, crippling restrictions on American Energy Production, our depleted Military, attacks on the American System of Justice, the Weaponization of Politics, and much more….," the former president added.

Internet feels GOP is lying about changing stance on abortion and same-sex marriage

Netizens blasted the Republican Party, accusing them of lying about changing positions on critical issues on individual freedom in its new platform.

"Because if they win in sufficient numbers the platform won’t matter. They’ll have what they need to implement #Project2025 and that’s their ONLY goal. This is a red herring, nothing more," one social media user said.

"Don't trust it...it's all about getting the votes," another remarked.

"They are a party of lies and misinformation.. Look what the Supreme court did.. Now one man is above the law," one individual said.

"When have Republicans ket their word, they have been cheering overturn of roe vs. Wade, the people they put on the supreme Court said the wouldn't touch it and look what happened, these same judges said no one is above the law, they president immunity, this is just another scam," another added.

"He's doing what republicans have been doing for at least a couple decades: letting some of the air out of the most important issues in which democrats are on the winning side. Democrats could do the same to the republicans if their base didn't see compromise as betrayal," one person wrote.

"The GOP has clearly proven that lies are an exponential phenomena. When the original lie fails to convince, make it bigger. Blend it with other lies and conspiracies, sprinkle it with just the right amount of fear, anger, and whiteness. Repeat often!" one person argued.

"Lying manipulators. That's the @GOP in a nutshell. Besides, we've seen this movie before. If they win, the facade will instantly drop and they will show their true malevolence," an individual opined.

"L Y I N G ! They’ll never soften their stance on anything, once they’re back in power. Let’s prevent that from happening," another person added.

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.