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President Trump Delivers His Second State Of The Union Address February 5, 2019 in Washington, DC.Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 5, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address Tuesday evening to deliver an affirmation of the right to life and a forceful denunciation of recent extreme actions and statements by pro-abortion Democrats in New York and Virginia.

“There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days. Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother's womb moments before birth,” Trump said (full comments below).

“These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world. And then, we had the case of the governor of Virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth,” he added.

Trump was referring to video that went viral last week of Democrat Del. Kathy Tran admitting her bill to liberalize Virginia’s late-term abortion laws would allow abortions just as a woman is about to give birth, followed by Democrat Gov. Ralph Northam suggesting that a born-alive “infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired.” He later claimed he was only referring to cases such as a “nonviable pregnancy” or “severe fetal abnormalities.”

Tran’s bill has already been tabled, but the controversy intensified a discussion of the extremes at which Democrats and their allies have arrived on abortion, which was already underway in response to New York’s recently-enacted law declaring a “fundamental right” to abortion and erased the state’s recognition of preborn babies as potential homicide victims.

Trump called on Congress to pass legislation to protect unborn children. 

“To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother's womb,” the president said. “Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life. And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth: all children—born and unborn—are made in the holy image of God.”

Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said Trump's comments on abortion proved once again that “he is our nation’s most pro-life president ever and he is keeping his promise to the voters who fueled his victory.”

“The contrast between President Trump’s vision for the future and that of the Democratic Party, now dominated by abortion extremists, is stark,” she said.  “Senate Democrats had the chance yesterday to prove they are not the party of infanticide, and instead they doubled down on a radical agenda of abortion on demand through birth and even beyond. That position that is simply irreconcilable with the values of the American people.”

“We ask Congress to heed President Trump’s request, and to send the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act to his desk without delay,” she continued. “This popular, compassionate legislation would protect unborn babies after five months – more than halfway through pregnancy, and a point at least by which these children can feel the pain of abortion.”

It was reported before the address that the president would use it as an opportunity to discuss abortion, a focus NARAL preemptively condemned as a “race to the bottom of their most depraved and devastating ideologies.” Trump reportedly expressed particular disgust for Northam’s infanticide comments Monday evening during a White House briefing with pro-life and pro-family leaders.

As Trump delivered his remarks, Planned Parenthood president Leana Wen listened in the audience, attending as a guest of Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Chosen to succeed Cecile Richards partly on the theory that her medical background could help reinforce Planned Parenthood’s narrative that it’s a “healthcare” provider, Wen instead undermined that message last month by admitting the group’s “core mission is providing, protecting and expanding access to abortion and reproductive health care.”

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Trump's full comments

There could be no greater contrast to the beautiful image of a mother holding her infant child than the chilling displays our nation saw in recent days.

Lawmakers in New York cheered with delight upon the passage of legislation that would allow a baby to be ripped from the mother’s womb moments before birth. These are living, feeling, beautiful babies who will never get the chance to share their love and dreams with the world.

And then, we had the case of the governor of Virginia where he stated he would execute a baby after birth. To defend the dignity of every person, I am asking Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the late-term abortion of children who can feel pain in the mother’s womb.

Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life.

And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth — all children — born and unborn— are made in the holy image of God.