President Donald Trump joined Republican House lawmakers Jan. 6, 2026, at the newly renamed Trump–Kennedy Center during their annual policy retreat (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)
"You have to be a little flexible on Hyde, you know that," Trump said. "You gotta be a little flexible. You gotta work something … we’re all big fans of everything. But you have to have flexibility."
The comment set off criticism among conservatives and pro-lifers on social media, with many remarking they can't be "flexible" when it comes to the life a child.
"No President Trump, we will NEVER compromise on the Hyde Amendment. NO taxpayer funding of abortions. Period," pro-life outlet Life News posted to X.
"For decades, opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion and support for the Hyde Amendment has been an unshakeable bedrock principle and a minimum standard in the Republican Party. To suggest Republicans should be ‘flexible’ is an abandonment of this decades-long commitment. If Republicans abandon Hyde, they are sure to lose this November," SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.
TRUMP STAYS ON SIDELINES AS GOP FALTERS IN PUSH TO UNITE ON HEALTHCARE PLAN
"'You have to be a little flexible on Hyde' when passing healthcare legislation, President Donald Trump just told the House Republican retreat. The Hyde Amendment prevents your taxpayer money from funding elective abortions not carried out due to rape or incest. Hard pass," Eastern Orthodox priest Ben Johnson posted to X.
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) told Politico after Trump's address that: "I’m not flexible on the value of every child’s life. Children are valuable, and so I’d have to get up to the context of what he meant by that."
Democrats campaigned against President Donald Trump in 2024 on claims he would wipe out abortion access and impose a national abortion ban (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press )
"It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion," the executive order stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Democrats campaigned against Trump in 2024 on claims he would wipe out abortion access and impose a national abortion ban, which the campaign brushed off as unrealistic. While some conservatives have previously taken issue with Trump for not being more vocal in his support of pro-life policies, including in 2024 when the GOP platform only mentioned abortion once, instead focusing on the preservation of life and returning power to the states when developing laws surrounding abortion.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-urges-gop-flexible-hyde-amendment-igniting-backlash-from-pro-life-allies