Catholic political activist Verástegui speaks out against Trump’s Iran threat, withdraws political support

Eduardo Verástegui, a Mexican Catholic pro-life activist, said April 7 that although he has supported the Republican Party for years, he will no longer back President Donald Trump or any other politician who does not “fully defend life, without exceptions.”

Verástegui – executive producer of the 2024 film “Cabrini,” which chronicles the life of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, as well as the anti-child trafficking film “Sound of Freedom” – said in a lengthy post on X that Trump’s recent warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to comply with U.S. demand, crossed a line he cannot accept as a Catholic. 

“My mission and the most important cause I have been fighting for over many years is the defense of the unborn,” he wrote. “That is why, for years, I supported the Republican Party, because, although imperfect, it has held a firmer stance in defense of the unborn child than the vision promoted by the Democratic Party.”

Verástegui said that he had supported Trump in past election cycles largely because of what he viewed as a pro-life vision that, while imperfect, could save more lives than the pro-abortion policies advanced by Democratic candidates.

“But I must also tell the full truth: the Republican movement, even under the leadership of Donald Trump, is not 100% pro-life,” he said. “And today I want to be clear: I will no longer support any politician who does not fully defend life, without exceptions.”

He added, “I offer an apology to God for the times when, in trying to support ‘the cause,’ I ended up compromising on something so fundamental. Because, although no one is perfect, we can and must order our priorities… and the defense of the unborn is, for me, the number one priority.”

Another reason why he supported Trump, Verástegui explained, was because of the President’s campaign pledge to combat child trafficking. 

“However, I must say this clearly: I am deeply disappointed by the possible cover-up of individuals who appear in the files of the case involving Jeffrey Epstein,” Verástegui said.

He noted that Trump had pledged during his campaign to release all Epstein-related documents as one of his first actions. While “part of the files” has been made public, Verástegui said that the “full truth has still not been revealed” and “there have been no real consequences: no accountable parties and no one in prison.”

“This is not acceptable,” he added. “Justice cannot be selective. Children deserve truth, protection, and justice.”

Lastly, Verástegui criticized Trump’s recent remarks on the Iran war. Hours before Verástegui issued his post, Trump said on social media: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

“The recent message from the president regarding Iran is something that, as a Catholic, I cannot support or justify. One cannot speak lightly about the possible destruction of an entire civilization,” Verástegui wrote. “Donald Trump, as the leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world, with deep Christian roots, has a global impact, for better or for worse, in what he says and does.”

He concluded, “Leadership carries responsibility. Words carry weight. Respect matters. Faith matters. Truth matters,” and concluded with a call for prayer: “Let us pray for his conversion… and for peace in the world.”

Verástegui doubled down on his stance in a subsequent post, writing that he is “not going to bet my ticket to heaven just to win applause down here,” according to an unofficial translation of the original Spanish. 

“We're not called to anything less than to surrender our lives to the truth,” he added. “Christ died for us on the Cross to save us, not to condemn us.”