The Kristan Hawkins Show – "2025 Year In Review" | Ep. 44

Date: December 31, 2025
Host: Kristan Hawkins

Overview

In the 2025 year-end episode, Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life and leader of the Pro-Life Generation, offers an in-depth reflection on a transformative year for the pro-life movement. She covers legislative wins and disappointments at the federal and grassroots levels, strategic shifts, the legacy and tragic loss of key ally Charlie Kirk, and previews looming struggles heading into 2026. With candid critique and grassroots optimism, she urges listeners to unite, strategize, and continue the fight to abolish abortion in all forms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Top Federal Priorities: The Pro-Life Wish List for President Trump's First 100 Days

(00:50–17:15)

• Pardoning Pro-Life FACE Act Prisoners

  • Within days of inauguration, the Trump DOJ condemned FACE Act prosecutions. Trump pardoned 23 pro-life advocates charged under the FACE Act.
  • Quote (Kristan):
    “President Trump… pardoned the 23 pro life advocates… ‘They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people. Great honor to sign this.’” (03:07)
  • FACE Act still needs to be repealed for systemic change.

• EPA Action on Chemical Abortion Pill Pollution

  • SFL’s push for EPA and FDA monitoring of chemical abortion pill pollution—no action yet from Trump.
  • EPA is now considering Congressional letters on the issue.
  • “Chemical abortion pills are the leading cause of infant death in our country. It’s time to start using the left’s laws against them, quite honestly.” (06:17)

• Mexico City Policy & Hyde Amendment

  • Mexico City Policy (ban on foreign abortion funding) reinstated quickly via executive order.
  • Urges Congress to make both Mexico City and Hyde Amendments permanent.

• Defunding and Debarring Planned Parenthood

  • Major breakthrough: signed “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) on July 4th, defunding Planned Parenthood by 80% (for one year due to Senate compromise).
  • Push to make defunding last 10 years—the legal max.
  • Plans to use COVID-era fraud as leverage to permanently bar Planned Parenthood from federal funding.

• Comstock Act (Ban on Mailing Abortion Drugs)

  • No enforcement steps taken; Trump DOJ is silent.
  • “The DOJ needs to immediately come out and be like, ‘Yep, we have a federal Comstock Act… and we are going to start enforcing it.’” (14:37)

2. Victories and Setbacks in Policy and Personnel

(17:15–24:00)

• Personnel Wins
  • JD Vance (VP), Marco Rubio (Secretary of State), Pam Bondi (AG), Harmeet Dhillon (Deputy AG)—all pro-life champions now in high positions.
• Title X Freeze and Cabinet Momentum
  • Immediate freeze on Title X grants to Planned Parenthood.
• Setbacks
  • FDA approved a generic abortion pill, deep state influence at the FDA continues.
  • Administration supported expanding IVF, the practice Kristan calls “not pro-life and unethical.”

3. Movement Milestones & Grassroots Growth

(24:00–34:00)

• Pro Life Generation Summit & Celebrate Life Weekend

  • Sold-out events with major leaders (Abby Johnson, Trent Horn, Dr. Ben Carson, Bethany Hamilton, Charlie Kirk) & record attendance.
  • 392,000 diapers collected, displayed, and donated—literal show of support for pro-life families.
  • “Ask anyone who works with Students for Life at the Virginia headquarters what they had to do to get those diapers… They will tell you some stories.” (29:15)

• Student and Community Impact

  • 1,600+ SFL chapters on campuses; 250,000 students trained.
  • 12,000+ pro-life events hosted in 2025.
  • Summer of Service campaign: door-to-door outreach with diapers, raising awareness about PRCs—73% of neighbors don’t know PRCs exist.

4. Major Loss: Remembering Charlie Kirk

(34:00–38:00)

• “Losing Charlie Kirk was by far our deepest wound… Losing Charlie meant we lost a figurehead, a spokesperson… and a connector.”
• SFL recommitted to campus activism despite fear and increased security concerns after Kirk’s assassination.
• “We’re not going to let fear of terrorism or pro-abortion zealots stop our work.” (37:15)

5. Ongoing & Emerging Challenges

(38:00–48:00)

• Chemical Abortion Expansion

  • Online sale/mailing of pills continues due to lack of federal enforcement.
  • May 2025: Major report shows chemical abortion pills “22 times more dangerous than the FDA ever let on.”
  • Over 20 states introduced bills to regulate or end chemical abortion.
  • “Chemical abortion pills are flooding every state.”

• IVF Debate

  • Legislative and cultural disconnect: Broad public and even pro-life support for IVF, which Kristan claims “kills more children every year than abortion.”
  • Pushback against claims that IVF can be pro-life.

• Internal Division

  • “Pro-prosecutionists” accused of sabotaging strategic bills (e.g., Oklahoma bill amendments led to legislative failure).
  • “We all agree we want to abolish abortion. We can disagree tactically on strategy… but we shouldn’t be attacking each other.”

6. Grassroots Victories

(48:00–54:00)

• Texas: Women Child Protection Act

  • Modeled on SFL Action template; enables residents to sue for illegal shipment of abortion pills ($100K per instance).
  • Kristan’s excitement about other states (Oklahoma, Wisconsin) introducing similar legislation.

• Shuttering of Planned Parenthoods

  • 48 closures in 2025, many in blue states.
  • Major closures: Margaret Sanger Center (NYC), Houston’s mega-abortion facility (largest in Western Hemisphere).

• Pro-Life Electoral Wins

  • North Carolina: Medicaid Planned Parenthood defunding.
  • Tina Whittington (SFL Exec VP) elected to Orange County School Board in Virginia.
  • Kristan encourages listeners to run for local office.

7. Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond

(54:00–58:00)

• Virginia Constitutional Fight

  • A pro-abortion constitutional amendment expected; SFL calls for volunteers for massive grassroots opposition.
  • Similar ballot fights slated for Idaho, Nevada, and Missouri.

• Renewal of Planned Parenthood Defunding

  • July 4, 2026: Key deadline to extend Max (10-year) funding ban.
  • Need to put pressure on the Senate and House to hold the line.

• State-by-State Legislative Plans

  • Lobby days in 46 states; focus on chemical abortion restriction.

• National Pro Life Summit 2026

  • Scheduled for Jan 24; call to action for pro-lifers nationwide.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Year’s Challenges & Progress:
  “2025 proved that victory is possible once again. If you didn’t learn the lesson from Roe’s reversal…once again we proved in 2025 that victory is possible and we finally defunded Planned Parenthood because of you.” (01:12:15)

• On Movement’s Division:
  “Talking about ending abortion is not like tax policy. There are actual human lives at risk. …We don’t have time for this crap.” (46:15, 51:39)

• On the Loss of Charlie Kirk:
  “Charlie had a very unique ability to bring together different factions … not only losing a friend… we lost that person who, behind the scenes every day, was working to help the pro-life movement advance our strategic goals.” (35:15)

• On the Work Still to Do:
  “Babies are literally dying. More than a thousand babies every day are killed in our country by our leading abortion vendor, Goliath Planned Parenthood.” (51:55)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:50 – President Trump’s first 100 days: wish list progress
• 06:17 – EPA/FDA chemical abortion pill pollution
• 10:00 – Mexico City policy, Hyde Amendment
• 12:15 – Defunding and debarring Planned Parenthood
• 14:37 – Comstock Act inaction
• 24:00 – Cabinet wins and setbacks
• 27:30 – Pro life grassroots expansion, diaper display
• 34:00 – Remembering Charlie Kirk
• 38:30 – Chemical abortion and IVF challenges
• 45:00 – Movement division & “pro-prosecutionists”
• 48:30 – Texas, Planned Parenthood closures
• 53:00 – Electoral/leadership campaigns
• 54:30 – 2026 preview & call to action

Tone, Style, and Language

Kristan’s trademark mix of candor, hope, feistiness, and urgency is ever-present. She’s unafraid to call out inaction—be it federal agencies, “deep state” resistance, or in-movement infighting—and equally quick to celebrate victories with gratitude and humor (“I did an Instagram Live because I was shocked I had cell phone service. This happened!”). Her language is emotionally charged but specific, often punctuating the magnitude of events with personal stories or quips.

Summary

• Major federal, state, and grassroots wins: Pardons, freeze on Planned Parenthood funding, legislative blueprint for chemical abortion restrictions.
• Heartbreaking challenges: FDA’s new abortion pill, pro-life movement disunity, the expansion and “normalization” of IVF.
• The loss of Charlie Kirk: profound impact both publicly and behind the scenes.
• Clear 2026 roadmap: Defend/extend budget victories, fight pro-abortion ballot referendums, and build unity while growing nationwide grassroots activism.

Call to Action: Volunteer, attend the National Pro Life Summit, run for local office, and keep fighting for abolishing abortion in America.

For more info or to get involved:

• studentsforlifeaction.org/virginia
• Sign up for National Pro Life Summit (Jan 24, 2026, Washington D.C.)

“Keep speaking up for the voiceless and stand for life.” (1:14:40)