WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump vowed to support anti-abortion-rights protesters in his second term as tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Washington on Friday for the annual March for Life.

“We will again stand proudly for families and for life,” Trump declared in a prerecorded video address.

Protesters had come to the capital for decades to call for the repeal of Roe v. Wade, which affirmed a constitutional right to an abortion. Now, with the repeal of Roe in 2022, they are now on the inside rather than the outside. With Trump’s return to the White House and Republicans in control of Congress, the activists want to build on their victories.

“Our country faces the return of the most pro-family, most pro-life American president of our lifetimes,” Vice President JD Vance told the crowd in his in-person speech.

Vance hailed Trump’s previous actions on abortion, saying the president “delivered on his promise of ending Roe” and appointed hundreds of anti-abortion judges.

Abortion was largely absent from the stack of dozens of executive actions in Trump’s first days of office. But he has already made quieter moves on abortion, including enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which restricts government funding for most abortions. He also reinstated a policy that requires foreign nongovernmental agencies to certify that they don’t provide or promote abortion if they receive U.S. federal funds for family planning assistance. Since it was introduced over 40 years ago, every GOP president has put it in effect, and every Democrat has rescinded it.

Trump also pardoned several right to life activists and used wording related to fetal personhood in an executive order rolling back protections for transgender people.

Despite frigid weather, a festive atmosphere surrounded the event as activists showed up with multicolored hats and signs declaring “Life is our revolution” and “MAGA: Make Abortion Gone Again.”

“This is a significant moment in history,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group. “Yes, we have a march every year but this one is pretty special...There is a trifecta of pro-life Republicans in the White House and the House and the Senate.”

Kristen Cooper, 21, was among several thousand Students for Life America members attending. She said she was especially excited to be at the march with anti-abortion Republicans in the White House.