President Trump to address March for Life via satellite

President Donald Trump will address the 45th annual March for Life on Friday via satellite from the White House, Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, announced Wednesday.

What did the March for Life say?

In a statement, Mancini said her organization is “grateful” to announce that Trump will speak to the gathering.

“Since his first day in office, President Trump has remained steadfast on his campaign promises to the pro-life cause and has actively worked to protect the unborn,” Mancini said. “Over the past year, the Trump administration has significantly advanced pro-life policy, and it is with great confidence that, under his leadership, we expect to see other pro-life achievements in the years to come. We welcome our 45th President, Donald Trump, to the 45th annual March for Life."

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the announcement in remarks to reporters Wednesday.

Previous Republican presidents including George W. Bush, addressed the pro-life gathering by phone. Last year, Mike Pence became the first sitting vice president to address the gathering in person.

March for Life takes place each year in the nation’s capital on or near Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Organizers say they estimate that over 100,000 people will travel from all over the country to attend this year’s event on Friday, making it the largest pro-life gathering in the world. The theme of this year’s March is “Love Saves Lives.”

Who will speak at the rally?

Speakers scheduled to address the March for Life rally in person on Friday include House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.) and Dan Lipinski (D-Mich.). Kay Coles James, president of The Heritage Foundation, and former NFL player Matt Birk will also speak.