The 53rd annual March for Life drew thousands to the nation’s capital Jan. 23 to advocate for unborn babies and their mothers.
The theme of the 2026 march was “Life is a gift.” A video announcing that theme says: “We have been marching for over 50 years. And we will still march on because the world needs to hear that every single human life is precious.”
At a rally on the National Mall prior to the march, Vice President J.D. Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson and pro-life leaders celebrated pro-life victories under the current administration and spoke about the continuing need for pro-life advocacy, even after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, thus eliminating the constitutional right to abortion and relegating abortion laws to the states.
President Donald Trump addressed the March for Life rally via video. “The war to rebuild the culture that supports life continues at every state, every community, and every part of our beautiful land,” he said. “This is a battle that must be fought, must be won—not only in the corners of power, but above all in the hearts and souls of the people.”
Although many abortion clinics have closed since the Dobbs decision, the number of abortions has continued to increase, driven by the availability of mail-order abortion pills. Pro-life physicians continue to warn that the abortion pill is much more dangerous than abortion advocates will admit.
In a recent interview with Decision, Dr. Christina Francis, a practicing OB/GYN hospitalist and CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: “We know that nearly one in nine women who take these drugs will have a serious complication, whether that be a visit to the emergency room requiring treatment or significant hemorrhage or blood loss, blood transfusion, emergency surgery, infection.”
At the rally, House Speaker Johnson listed some of the pro-life legislation passed over the last year. “I could be up here all day telling you about all the things that are being done,” he said, “but you need to know, in summary, that we are fulfilling our promises. And that promise, that is central to what we stand for, is to protect the sanctity of human life.”
Cissie Graham Lynch offered the rally’s closing prayer: “Lord, as we leave this place today, we know there’s a lot of work still to be done. So, Lord, as we go, give us the strength. Fill us with the courage. Give us the compassion. … May we stand with an unwavering conviction, and may we be a nation who stands before the world and says that we are a country that values all life, Lord, because You are the Giver and You are the Author of life. And we pray this in the powerful Name of Jesus. Amen.”
