Hardline activist Ed Martin gets top policy job in Trump administration

(CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Ed Martin, a hardline, socially conservative activist and commentator, to serve as the next chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

As CNN first reported in July, Martin has publicly advocated for a national abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest and has raised imposing criminal penalties on women and doctors involved in abortions.

Martin is a former chair of the Missouri Republican Party chair and former radio host and served as one of the leaders of the 2024 Republican National Convention’s platform committee, which shaped the party’s official stance on key issues. He is the current president of the socially conservative group Phyllis Schlafly Eagles.

The OMB plays a key role in shaping the president’s economic and legislative agenda by reviewing funding proposals and ensuring they align with the administration’s policy priorities.

Martin’s role at OMB could have a potential impact on how federal funds are allocated for programs related to women’s health or reproductive rights.

CNN first reported Martin’s comments about potentially jailing women for abortions when he was named deputy policy director for the Republican National Convention’s platform committee. Ultimately, at Trump’s request, the platform softened its language on abortion to remove support for a national ban.

A Pew Research Center survey from May 2024 showed that 63% of US adults believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

Martin didn’t respond to CNN’s requests for comment on the initial story or this one.

During his radio show in May 2022, Martin repeatedly discussed the prospect of imprisoning women who undergo abortions, stating, “If you believe it’s a baby – I do – then you have to do something to protect the baby.”

Martin has also urged anti-abortion activists to frame the debate in terms of protecting the unborn rather than adopting the framing used by abortion rights advocates about being about a woman’s choice.

He argued that if the discussion focuses on a woman’s right to choose, it becomes politically difficult to justify criminal penalties for women who get abortions. However, by shifting the argument to focus on the life of the baby, the possibility of punitive measures for women and doctors becomes open.

“The late Phyllis Schlafly, whom I worked so closely with, used to say, ‘If you get to claim and frame the argument, you almost certainly get to win,’” Martin said. “In other words, if you take their framing, it’s a woman’s right. Are you gonna put women in jail? No. It’s about a baby. Now, what do we do? Frame the argument. Own the argument.”

At the OMB, Martin will report to incoming director Russell Vought, another staunch conservative who previously served in the role during Trump’s first term. Martin and Vought also served together on the platform committee.

In the days after a draft opinion striking down Roe v. Wade was leaked in May 2022, Martin first discussed on his radio show possible prison sentences for women and doctors who perform abortions.

“If you ban abortion in Louisiana, is a doctor who has an abortion breaking the law? Yes. Should he be punished? Yes – I think that seems obvious. What is the punishment? Not sure yet. Could be criminal, could be a jail sentence, I suppose,” he said.

Trump praised Martin in a Truth Social post announcing the selection, writing, “Ed is a winner who will help Make America Great Again!”

Martin has also opposed exceptions for abortions to save the life of the mother, calling it “an absolute scientific fact that no abortion is ever performed to save the life of the mother. None, zero, zilch.”

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, complications during pregnancy can pose life-threatening risks, sometimes requiring an abortion to preserve the mother’s life. Abortions may be necessary to save the life of the mother suffering from pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia or an ectopic pregnancy.

“The true bane of the pro-life movement is the faction of fake pro-lifers who claim to believe in the sanctity of human life but are only willing to vote that way with a list of exceptions,” Martin said on another radio show in June 2022 – days after Roe v. Wade was struck down.

His hardline views contrast with Trump’s recent efforts to moderate his rhetoric on abortion, as the issue has become politically challenging for Republicans following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Trump has advocated for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and the health of the mother and said that the issue of abortion should largely be left to the states.

Still, Martin has continued to push for absolute restrictions on abortion, rejecting exceptions of any kind, including, as he said in July 2022, the rape of a 10-year-old Ohio girl.

“Don’t tell me to stop talking about abortion,” Martin said in April 2024 on his radio show. “Don’t tell me that because you don’t think it’s a winner politically, I’m supposed to stop talking about abortion.”