Pence and his team are making some mighty demands.
A conservative organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence is escalating pressure on the Trump administration, publicly calling for the removal of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over the handling of the abortion pill mifepristone.
In a post published on X, Pence’s nonprofit group, Advancing American Freedom, accused Kennedy of refusing to act on growing concerns surrounding the widely used abortion drug, drawing sharp criticism from pro-life leaders across the country.
“HHS Secretary RFK Jr. continues to refuse to review the dangerous chemical abortion pill, mifepristone,” the group stated. “Despite repeated appeals from state attorneys general and pro-life assurances made to Congress, RFK Jr. has chosen to follow the same obstructionist approach used during the Obama and Biden administrations.”
The message ended with a clear demand: “RFK Jr. must go.”
Growing Conservative Frustration Inside Washington
The public rebuke highlights growing frustration among social conservatives who believe key federal agencies are dragging their feet on abortion-related oversight under President Donald Trump.
Just days earlier, the pro-life organization Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called for the removal of FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, after reports indicated that a full review of mifepristone could be delayed until after the midterm elections.
Concerns had already intensified last fall when the FDA approved a new generic version of the abortion drug, a move that angered many pro-life advocates and Republican lawmakers.
White House Pushes Back
The White House has defended Makary, stating that the FDA is focused on science rather than politics. Administration officials said Makary is working to ensure the agency’s evaluation of mifepristone meets what they described as “gold-standard scientific review.”
In a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Makary said the FDA continues to closely monitor post-marketing safety data related to the drug and reviews reports of adverse events as they are submitted.
However, he did not provide a timeline for when a formal review would be completed.
Senate Republicans Demand Answers
That lack of clarity has fueled growing impatience on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, called the FDA’s responses “unacceptable” and pressed the agency for more transparency.
In follow-up correspondence, Makary reiterated that the FDA routinely reviews new safety information for all approved drugs but again stopped short of committing to a completion date for the mifepristone review.
RFK Jr.’s Past Positions Raise Eyebrows
Kennedy’s leadership has drawn additional scrutiny because of his past statements on abortion. During his Senate confirmation hearings, he aligned himself with President Trump’s position, saying that “every abortion is a tragedy.”
However, Kennedy—long associated with the Democratic political establishment—previously identified as pro-choice and publicly argued in 2023 that the federal government should not interfere in personal medical decisions.
For Pence-aligned conservatives, that history has raised serious questions about whether Kennedy can be trusted to carry out a pro-life agenda at HHS.
A New Flashpoint for the Trump Coalition
The call to remove Kennedy underscores emerging divisions within the broader conservative movement, even as President Trump continues to dominate the Republican Party.
With abortion policy once again becoming a defining issue ahead of upcoming elections, pressure from pro-life groups is intensifying—and internal battles over who sets the administration’s priorities are becoming harder to ignore.