In a recent interview with CNN’s Laura Coates, Vice President Kamala Harris accused former President Donald Trump of taking pride in the suffering of women due to the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Harris was in Wisconsin, launching a national tour advocating for reproductive rights.
“The former president has made his intentions clear. He’s proud of his role in the emergence of restrictive abortion laws following the high court ruling,” Harris stated. She further accused Trump of being pleased with the deprivation of women’s fundamental freedoms and the criminalization of health care providers.
Trump’s Legal Issues and the Upcoming Election
Harris dismissed Trump’s claims that his legal troubles are politically motivated attacks from the Biden administration. She urged Americans to remain vigilant for signs of democratic erosion in the lead-up to this year’s election, emphasizing the importance of a free and fair election system.
On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, where Trump leads his remaining GOP rival, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Harris addressed criticism suggesting she wasn’t fit for her role. She stated that such criticism is common for women in positions of power.
Reproductive Rights as a Central Election Issue
As the general election approaches, Harris highlighted the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the violence on January 6, 2021. She also accused Republicans of politicizing immigration.
For Democrats, the issue of abortion rights, particularly in the wake of the court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, is a crucial election topic. Harris and Biden are focusing on Trump’s role in undermining abortion rights as a central theme in their reelection campaign.
Harris is set to visit several states as part of her “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms Tour,” which will last through March. She will also join Biden at a rally on the same day as the New Hampshire primary to draw attention to abortion rights.
Biden Administration’s Efforts to Expand Reproductive Rights
On Monday, Biden met with his administration’s task force on reproductive rights, criticizing Republicans for attempting to ban abortion and announcing new measures to increase access to contraception and other reproductive care. However, Biden and Harris have acknowledged that fully restoring the protections included in Roe will require congressional action.
“President Joe Biden has been very clear, when Congress puts the protections of Roe back into the law, he will sign it,” Harris told Coates in Wisconsin. “Similarly, President Joe Biden has been very clear if these extremists achieve their other goal, which is to have a national ban, which means state by state by state. Joe Biden will veto that.”
“The stakes are high,” she concluded.