Russell Moore, Jim Daly hails Trump for pro-life stance

Prominent evangelical leaders Russell Moore and Jim Daly have expressed their optimism about the direction of the new presidential administration with regards to the issue of abortion.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), commended President Donald Trump for reinstating the Mexico City policy, which blocks federal funding to family planning organizations overseas that perform abortions.

Moore also said that he is hopeful about Trump's Supreme Court pick. "The names I am hearing, I have a positive reaction to those people," he added.

"The main thing though is to convince, to make sure our people know that when it comes to the issue of life, and abortion particularly, things aren't settled just because of an election. We have to consistently be diligent over a long period of time," Moore continued.

Daly, president of Focus on the Family, said that Trump reminds him of his former bosses in the business world due to the president's penchant for speaking bluntly.

"But I can't argue with the first week's performance when it comes to life. It's astonishing," Daly told The Christian Post.

Daly also mentioned that he met with Vice President Mike Pence and Kellyanne Conway, who assured him that they are committed to upholding a pro-life stance.

"[I]t's almost as if they don't care what people say about them. I'm really stunned by that," Daly remarked.

Focus on the Family and ERLC both hosted the Evangelicals for Life Conference at the JW Marriot Hotel in downtown Washington D.C. Attendees of the three-day event were also encouraged to join the participants of the annual March for life at the National Mall for a rally and a march to Capitol Hill.

More than 50 speakers were scheduled to participate in the conference that coincided with March for Life on Jan. 27. On Thursday, Moore opened the conference with a message about addressing the issue of human dignity based on the framework provided by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Other speakers at the conference include Life Training Institute President Scott Klusendorf, Pastor Matt Chandler, Pastor Todd Wagner, Pastor Glenn Packiam and Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware Executive Director Kevin Smith.