The launch of 'Moms.gov' was accompanied by an uncomfortable Oval Office press conference on Monday, as reported by Moira Donegan for the Guardian. The website, touted as a resource for new and expecting mothers, has been criticized for misleading women and promoting anti-abortion agendas.
What Moms.gov Offers
On the landing page, a photo of a heavily pregnant white woman is cropped below the head, making her faceless, cradling her belly in a field of tall grass. The image is flanked by infant footprints in pink and blue, nodding to the anti-abortion movement's symbol of 'precious feet.' A banner declares the site offers 'Resources, Information, and Help for New and Expecting Mothers,' targeting those facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies. However, the site primarily links to Option Line, a referral network of Christian anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers run by Heartbeat International.
Press Conference Highlights
At the press conference, Dr. Mehmet Oz lamented that Americans are 'under-babied,' claiming one in three Americans have fewer children than desired. He asserted the fertility rate has fallen below 1.5, though a Johns Hopkins study suggests it is higher and the US population is not shrinking. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke of a 'fertility crisis,' claiming sperm counts have halved since 1970, a questionable assertion. Donald Trump appeared to lose focus at times during the event.
Political Context
The pronatalist push reflects the Trump administration's consistent ideological misogyny, encouraging women's financial dependence on men and early childbearing while discouraging work, education, and self-determination. The website lacks mention of contraception or paid family leave, only addressing abortion and childhood vaccination in terms of limits and exemptions. This move aims to reconcile with the anti-abortion movement, which felt discarded after the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
After Dobbs, Republicans saw worse-than-expected turnout in the 2022 midterms, attributed to outrage over abortion restrictions. Trump initially seemed to distance himself from further restrictions, but as the 2026 midterms approach, the anti-abortion movement is gaining victories. An appellate court recently curtailed mail access to mifepristone, a key abortion drug, though the Supreme Court temporarily preserved access. The Trump administration also replaced FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, criticized for slow-walking a review of mifepristone, likely with someone more friendly to the anti-choice cause.
Deceptive Practices
Moms.gov provides little actual support for pregnant women. Instead, it links to anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers, which pose as clinics to confuse women seeking abortions. These centers often provide pregnancy tests and ultrasounds but overstate gestational age, misleading women about legal limits, and promise aid like diapers or cribs that may be contingent on religious education. They are not medical centers and are designed to deceive women, treating them as resources rather than persons with dignity.
In essence, Moms.gov serves as a metaphor for the Trump administration itself: offering little genuine support while promoting an agenda that undermines women's autonomy.
