The March for Life was founded 47 years ago by Nellie Gray, an attorney from the Washington D.C., area in response to the shocking Supreme Court decision on January 22, 1973, which struck down laws in all 50 states and legalized abortion through all nine months of pregnancy.

President Donald Trump was the first U.S. President to personally attend the rally and to speak to the (estimated) 250,000 attendees. The following is a portion of his remarks:

“It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life. We’re here for a very simple reason: to defend the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their God-given potential…

“This is a tremendous turnout – tens of thousands of high school and college students who took long bus rides to be here. Young people are the heart of the March for Life and it’s your generation that is making America the pro-family, pro-life nation.

“The life movement is led by strong women, amazing faith leaders, and brave students who carry on the legacy of pioneers before us who fought to raise the conscience of our nation and uphold the rights of citizens. You embrace mothers with care and compassion. You are powered by prayer and motivated by pure, unselfish love.

“All of us here understand an eternal truth: Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God. Together we must protect, cherish and defend the dignity and sanctity of every human life.

“When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God’s creation. When we hold a newborn in our arms, we know the endless love that each child brings to a family. When we watch a child grow, we see the splendor that radiates from each human soul. One life changes the world. …

“From the first day in office I’ve taken a historic action to support America’s families and to protect the unborn. … I reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy, and we issued a landmark pro-life rule to govern the use of Title X taxpayer funding. I notified Congress that I would veto any legislation that weakens pro-life policies or that encourages the destruction of human life.

“At the United Nations, I made clear that the global bureaucrats have no business attack- ing the sovereignty of nations that protect innocent life.”