A day after the Florida Supreme Court cleared the way for the state's six-week abortion ban to go into effect, President Biden's reelection campaign is launching an ad reminding voters of former President Donald Trump's role in ending the federal right to an abortion.
"For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I'm proud to have done it," Trump says in a clip at the beginning of the ad. During his presidency, he named three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, creating a 6-3 conservative majority that struck down the landmark law in 2022.
"In 2016, Donald Trump ran to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now, in 2024, he's running to pass a national ban on a woman's right to choose," Mr. Biden says in the ad.
However, in February, Trump said he had not decided whether to support a national 15-week abortion ban that some Republicans have been pushing for, acknowledging that the issue could cost him politically.
"The Republicans were probably hurt by this because a lot of them struggled to address the issue. However, now the focus has shifted to the states," Trump mentioned in a television interview with Sean Hannity in early March. "Many states are allowing their citizens to vote on this matter, and the results are varied, but many are leaning towards a certain number of weeks, with 15 being frequently mentioned. I have not committed to a specific number yet. I will have to wait and see," he added.
Watch the ad here:
Emphasizing the Democrats' strong support for abortion rights, he further stated, "I am campaigning to reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land, ensuring that women once again have a federal guarantee of the right to choose. Donald Trump does not have faith in women. I do," Mr. Biden declared.
The campaign has allocated a "seven-figure buy" for this advertisement as part of a $30 Million advertising initiative in key battleground states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and Nevada. It believes that the abortion rights issue provides them with an opportunity to win over Florida, which Trump secured in 2020, as women in the state have limited options. Nearby Georgia also enforces strict abortion laws, banning most procedures after around six weeks.
Campaign manager Julie Chavez-Rodriguez remarked, "This new, extreme abortion ban — one that Donald Trump directly enabled — will effectively act as a ban across the entire Southeast. Women in need of reproductive healthcare in the region now face a dilemma: either endanger their lives or travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to seek care."
Following the recent decision by the nation's highest court to overturn Roe v. Wade, Democrats have capitalized on abortion rights as a key issue. This strategy proved successful in the 2022 midterm elections, where it helped mitigate their losses. Additionally, in states where abortion access has been put to a vote, it has emerged victorious every time, even in traditionally conservative states.
Since the ruling, seven states, including states like Kansas and Ohio, have taken steps to safeguard abortion rights.
A recent CBS News poll conducted in March revealed that a majority of voters view the overturning of Roe v. Wade as detrimental to the country.
