In her first major speech focused solely on abortion rights since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris took aim at Donald Trump for the sweeping abortion bans across much of the United States. Speaking in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday, Harris pointed to Trump’s role in shaping the current landscape of abortion laws, which have left women in many states without access to safe and legal care.
Harris delivered her remarks following reports that two Georgia women, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, died after being unable to receive timely medical intervention due to the state's restrictive abortion laws. Both women’s deaths were deemed preventable by Georgia’s maternal mortality review committee.
“Two women – and those are just the stories we know of – died here in Georgia because of a Trump abortion ban,” Harris said, repeatedly labeling the restrictions as "Trump abortion bans."
She went on to express empathy for affected families, stating, "Suffering is happening every day in our country. To those women, to those families – we see you, and you are not alone."
Since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris has made reproductive rights a key issue in her campaign. She has traveled across the country to raise awareness about the impact of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which led to the banning of abortion in over a dozen states.
Harris directly blamed Trump for Roe’s downfall, as he appointed three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the landmark decision. She also criticized Republicans for blocking Senate efforts to secure federal rights to in vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure now in jeopardy due to the changing legal landscape.
“On one side, these extremists want to deny women the freedom to end an unwanted pregnancy,” Harris said. “On the other, they’re telling families they don’t have the freedom to start a family.”
The crowd at the event responded strongly to Harris’s words, with one person shouting, "Make it make sense!"
Georgia, a key battleground state, has become increasingly important in the upcoming election. Although Joe Biden won the state in 2020, flipping it to the Democrats for the first time in decades, the race remains competitive with Harris now at the top of the ticket. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham recently stated that Trump must win Georgia to secure the White House.
Harris has been campaigning aggressively in Georgia, including a two-day bus tour of the state in August, highlighting the significance of reproductive rights in the upcoming election. In her speech, she detailed the tragic story of Amber Nicole Thurman, who suffered from sepsis after being denied timely medical care following complications from a medication abortion. Doctors delayed treating Thurman for fear of legal consequences under the state’s strict abortion law.
“Under the Trump abortion ban, her doctors could have faced up to a decade in prison for providing Amber the care she needed,” Harris said, emphasizing the real-life impact of such laws.
With abortion access now a top issue for many voters, Democrats hope that the anger surrounding the overturn of Roe will drive high voter turnout in November. Several states, including Nevada and Arizona, will have abortion-related measures on the ballot, which could boost support for Democratic candidates.
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