Trump at anti-abortion rally as Democrats wrap impeachment case

US President Donald Trump was to address the country's biggest annual anti-abortion rally on Friday -- just blocks from Congress where senators are sitting in judgment at his impeachment trial.

Trump, with his eyes on the Christian evangelical support he'll need for re-election in November, will be the first president to deliver a speech to the "March for Life" campaigners in person.

In what will surely be a remarkable split-screen moment, Trump will address a crowd of thousands on the sprawling National Mall as Democratic prosecutors take to the floor of the Senate.

The seven Democratic impeachment "managers" are to make their final arguments on Friday for why Trump should be removed from office for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

White House lawyers will then have 24 hours, starting Saturday, to present their defense of the president, who was impeached by the House of Representatives on December 18.

While impeachment will forever stain his record, Trump is virtually assured of acquittal by the Republican-held Senate -- and is already looking past the trial to the re-election fight that awaits.

Before entering politics Trump defended abortion rights, but he has increasingly aligned himself with the anti-abortion movement as he works to firm up his electoral base -- none more so than the white evangelicals who backed him overwhelmingly in 2016.

"President Trump has governed as the most pro-life president in history," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, head of the anti-abortion campaign group Susan B. Anthony List.

"We are proud to stand with President Trump and are going all in to ensure his re-election," said the activist, whose group plans to visit four million voters before election day "to defeat abortion extremists."
In his message to last year's march, Trump said he had made clear to Congress that he would veto any legislation that "weakens the protection of human life."