"Larger than usual" and "younger than ever: were two of the phrases heard Friday afternoon from participants to characterize the 44th Annual March for Life in Washington, D.C.
But easily the most-oft-heard description of the tens of thousands of Americans who marched in Washington Friday to protest the Supreme Court's 1973 "Roe v. Wade" pro-abortion ruling was "more hopeful and enthusiastic than in years."
The presidency of Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence's historic address to the March, and the suddenly real prospects of Congress denying federal funds to Planned Parenthood and a new pro-life justice on the Supreme Court — all fueled the zeal of those who marched from the Washington Monument to the U.S. Capitol in opposition to abortion.
"It's good to have a president who stands for life," said Father Dan Morris, chaplain of the Roman Catholic-run St. James Academy in Lenexa, Kansas, "And Vice President [Mike] Pence gave a powerful address. So did [White House adviser] Kellyanne Conaway."
Father Morris, a veteran of five Marches for Life, supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the Republican presidential nomination last year and freely admitted there were things about Trump that "bother me."
"But in November, Trump was by far our best choice," he added.
Father Morris' view was seconded by Oklahoma's Steve Antosh, an evangelical Christian and founder of the National Pro-Life Alliance that claims 650,000 dues-paying members.
"Trump constantly surprises me happily," said Antosh, onetime aide to former Sen. Don Nickles (R.-Okla.), "I like everything he's doing so far. Because he is president, there is a realistic chance of getting federal dollars away from Planned Parenthood and getting someone truly pro-life on the Supreme Court. And his Cabinet is the best I can remember — better than Reagan's, in fact."
Antosh's one worry about Trump, he told me, "is pride and whether that will lead to his fall. I really didn’t like it when he danced to 'My Way' at the inaugural ball."
Also evident at the march was the growing number of younger pro-lifers participating in their first-ever protest against abortion.
"The increasing number of abortions and my awareness that this needs to be recognized brought me here," said Brandon Nemeck, a sophomore at Archbishop Carroll High School in Cuero, Texas. "And, yes, sir, I think Donald Trump is good for the right to life."
Second-time marcher Cheyenne Miller, also a student at Archbishop Carroll, told me she was there "to speak my voice to protect babies. And I like Trump. He's good for the unborn."