The Biden-Harris campaign is embarking on a nationwide tour on Monday to discuss reproductive rights, just three days before the first 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, where this issue is expected to take center stage.
Vice President Kamala Harris will be visiting Maryland and Arizona, while other lawmakers, officials, and women impacted by abortion restrictions will be holding over 50 events, including in key battleground states, to commemorate the second anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling on Monday.
“The vice president will remind voters that Donald Trump is responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade and the chaos that ensued. She will also emphasize the threat that a second Trump presidency would pose to reproductive freedom nationwide,” a campaign official shared.
Prior to the two-year anniversary, the campaign launched an organizing effort to portray Trump as the “architect” of the Dobbs decision at various events across the country. The campaign, which considers reproductive rights a unifying issue for Democrats, aims to underscore the importance of the election with regards to reproductive healthcare, including the potential for a national abortion ban under a Trump administration.
President Biden stated in a new video released on Monday as part of the effort, “Decades of progress shattered just because the last guy got four years in the White House. We’re up against extremism.”
President Biden also denounced Trump as “the sole person responsible for this nightmare” and warned of the possibility of a nationwide abortion ban under a Trump presidency, with or without Congress’s approval. He vowed to prevent such an occurrence.
The Biden campaign unveiled a new advertisement on Monday criticizing Trump for the Supreme Court’s decision and featuring Kaitlyn Joshua, who was denied care during a miscarriage.
Trump takes credit for Dobbs decision
Prior to the anniversary, Trump boasted about overturning Roe v. Wade and appointing three conservative justices to the Supreme Court, which enabled the Dobbs decision.
Trump also expressed his belief in exceptions for the life of the mother, as well as rape and incest, while portraying Democrats as extremists.
State policies differ since Dobbs ruling
Since the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling in 2022, which overturned the right to abortion, 14 states have implemented total abortion bans, with more states enacting various restrictions, resulting in a disparate set of laws nationwide.
White House officials anticipate that President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue to highlight efforts to safeguard abortion rights in advance of the election.
Public opinion on abortion rights
The issue of abortion rights has become a crucial factor in the election, with more voters stating they will only support candidates who align with their views on abortion. The majority of adults identify as pro-choice, while a significant portion identify as pro-life. A majority of women believe the election will significantly impact access to reproductive healthcare.
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