George Barna’s recent book, The Day Christians Changed America, notes how Christian conservatives united in the 2016 election to preserve America’s past and secure her future. As the only one standing at the end the primary season, Donald Trump seemed an unlikely choice for a Republican presidential candidate. Though brash and unconventional, he also stood for the values important to Christian conservatives: the right to life and religious freedom. In the general election, Christian “Values Voters” saw a clear choice: someone who had the potential to stand for their values, and someone who absolutely opposed them. They chose to give Trump a chance.

Now, a little over a year later, President Trump continues to break convention, speak his mind and stand up for polices that conservative Christians value. Last week, Trump became the first president in history to address the crowds at the March for Life, the pro-life march that began after the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. His address, which took place in the Rose Garden, was broadcast via satellite to the crowds on the national mall. In his address, President Trump stated:

> The March for Life is a movement born out of love. You love your families, you love your neighbors, you love our nation, and you love every child, born and unborn, because you believe that every life is sacred, that every child is a precious gift from God. … We are protecting the sanctity of life and the family as the foundation of our society.

President Trump has proven himself to be a staunch pro-life ally. He expanded the Mexico City Policy, which prevents $9 billion in foreign aid from funding the worldwide abortion industry. He stopped taxpayer funding for the UN Population Fund, which supports China’s forced abortion and sterilization program. He nominated Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He signed H.J. Res. 43 into law, which overturned a Barack Obama-era regulation prohibiting states from defunding certain abortion clinics in the federally funded family planning programs.

He has stated strong support for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban abortion after 20 weeks. The United States stands as one of only seven countries (which include China and North Korea) allowing abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation. Research reveals that unborn babies feel pain at 20 weeks, to the extent that babies at that age routinely receive anesthesia for in utero surgeries. Additionally, 63% of Americans support a ban on abortion after 20 weeks — in other words, it’s hardly an “extreme” position.

Rather than celebrating the anniversary of Roe v. Wade as a day of “liberation,” President Trump recognizes the true issue at stake in the infamous Supreme Court decision: human dignity. He proclaimed Jan. 22, 2018, the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.” His proclamation reads:

> This is why we observe National Sanctity of Human Life Day: to affirm the truth that all life is sacred, that every person has inherent dignity and worth, and that no class of people should ever be discarded as “non-human.”

Under his leadership, Health and Human Services (HHS) is protecting conscience freedoms compromised and even attacked under the previous administration. This month, HHS established a new Conscience and Religious Freedom Division within the HHS Office of Civil Rights. It will restore federal law enforcement of U.S. laws protecting conscious and religious freedom rights. OCR Director Roger Severino states, “No one should be forced to choose between helping sick people and living by one’s deepest moral or religious convictions, and the new division will help guarantee that victims of unlawful discrimination find justice.”

Additionally, Acting HHS Secretary Eric Hargan stated, “President Trump promised the American people that his administration would vigorously uphold the rights of conscience and religious freedom. That promise is being kept today.”

President Trump also announced Jan. 16, 2018, as Religious Freedom Day. In his proclamation, President Trump stated, “Our forefathers, seeking refuge from religious persecution, believed in the eternal truth that freedom is not a gift from the government, but a sacred right from Almighty God.”

He further connected religious freedom to human dignity, stating, “The free exercise of religion is a source of personal and national stability, and its preservation is essential to protecting human dignity.”

In 2016, Christian conservatives took a chance on Donald Trump to champion their values of life and religious liberty. Today, it is clear he has delivered.