In 1974, some 20,000 pro-life Americans gathered at the steps of the United States Capitol to observe the first anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Every year since, thousands of Americans of all stripes have faithfully flooded the streets of Washington, D.C. to defend the cause of the unborn. On Friday, they will do the same for the 49th time—and hopefully the last of the Roe era.

This weekend’s March for Life rally, the large anti-choice demonstration held annually in Washington DC to mark the anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision, has the exuberant quality of a victory lap. This, the 49th anniversary of Roe, is likely to be its last. The US supreme court is poised to overturn Roe in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health, which is set to be decided this spring.

The White House said that abortion "is under assault as never before" on the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that enshrined the procedure as a constitutional right.

Saturday's statement comes a day after an anti-abortion march in Washington, DC where activists expressed hope Supreme Court justices weighing up a Mississippi case would eventually overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling made on January 22, 1973.

“Donald Trump became the first U.S. president to attend the annual March for Life in Washington on Friday... the event [is] held annually around the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion and legalized the procedure nationwide.” (Reuters)

The left is critical of the pro-life movement’s embrace of Trump and opposed to further restrictions on abortion.

The right is encouraged by Trump’s appearance and supportive of increased restrictions on abortion.

President Trump on Friday will become the first president to attend in-person the March for Life.

Trump quote-tweeted a video of last year's pro-life event, adding "See you on Friday...Big Crowd!"

The president addressed the gathering in 2018 via video stream, and Vice President Pence attended in 2019.

President Trump revealed this week he would become the first president to speak in person at the anti-abortion March for Life rally, as a new poll registered record-high dissatisfaction with U.S. abortion laws.

The March for Life says its mission is to “promote the beauty and dignity of every human life by working to end abortion.” Trump previously spoke at the rally remotely, while Vice President Mike Pence in 2017 became the first U.S. vice president to attend.

(CNN) - President Donald Trump will attend Friday's March for Life, an annual anti-abortion event in Washington, he announced on Twitter.

"See you on Friday...Big Crowd!" Trump tweeted Wednesday, sharing a video from last year's march.
Trump will be the first president to attend the march, according to Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life. Trump was also the first president to speak at the march via video feed when he addressed participants in the 2018 march.

President Donald Trump will attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., Friday, making him the first U.S. president to do so.

The president will speak at the 47th annual March for Life, a pro-life demonstration following the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, March for Life President Jeanne Mancini announced Wednesday night.

The announcement comes one day after the president declared Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Sanctity of Human Life Day.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s oldest son and daughter-in-law spoke at the 2020 D.C. Women’s March, which took place during the MLK holiday weekend. However, Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy will be better honored at the March for Life than at the Women’s March.