Trump dug himself into a hole. I think he softened on PP because he got advice he from his advisors he was polling poorly with women after all of his negative press (most brought on by his poorly thought out twitter antics).
So he thought he could thread the needle with respect to PP.
What he does not realize, is under the law, federal funding to PP cannot be directly used for abortion, so what he was claiming to support is actually current law.
Trump also does not understand the Pro-Life conservative opinion on federal funding is money is fungible, and it is simply an accounting exercise to use federal money indirectly for abortion, so Pro-Life conservatives want no federal funding for PP.
Secondly, small-government fiscal conservatives want no federal funding to a private organization.
Trump’s comments on funding PP violated both social and fiscal conservatives beliefs on the subject.
Trump has a B-Team of advisors. Roger Stone was such a B-Teamer, having previously worked for Arlen Specter’s and Al Sharpton’s presidential campaigns. Trump would be wise to hire Dick Morris, who knows both how to triangulate and to manage populist campaigns.
regarding fungibility....... I thought he said that there will be no funds for an organization that carries out abortions. the deal was not to restrict funding for abortions and allow it for all else.