Kamala Harris on Friday (Sep 21) launched a fierce critique of her political rival Donald Trump and the Republican Party, calling them “hypocrites” over their stance on abortion as the first votes were cast in the crucial 2024 US presidential election.
Harris unleashes most forceful speech yet
At a rally in Atlanta, Georgia, Democrat party presidential candidate Kamala Harris blamed Trump for a state law that bans abortion after six weeks, which she said had caused the deaths of two women.
Harris accused Republicans of failing to support women and children despite their claims to do so.
“These hypocrites want to start talking about how this is in the best interest of women and children.”
“Well, where have you been? Where have you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children of America? Where have you been?” she asked the crowd, drawing cheers.
“How dare they,” she remarked.
Since stepping in as the Democratic nominee two months ago, replacing President Joe Biden, Harris has sharpened her focus on abortion rights, often referring to what she calls “Trump abortion bans.”
Trump’s abortion bans
Republican Party presidential nominee Donald Trump is known to boast about appointing the Supreme Court justices responsible for overturning national abortion rights in 2022. Since then, at least 20 of the 50 US states have introduced full or partial restrictions, with Georgia being one of the strictest — banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
‘Immoral’ abortion bans
Later on Friday, speaking at another rally in Madison, Wisconsin, Harris labelled these bans “immoral” and squarely blamed Trump for what she described as a “health care crisis.”
“This is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect,” she said.
She cited the death of Amber Nicole Thurman, a young mother from Georgia who died due to complications from abortion pills, as a tragic result of the state’s restrictive laws. The case has become a rallying cry for her campaign.
“We will make sure Amber is not just remembered as a statistic,” said the US Vice President, as quoted by AFP.
As early voting kicked off in key states, including Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota, Harris rallied her supporters, and said: “It (the election) is basically here and we have work to do, to energise, to organise and to mobilise.”
(With inputs from agencies)
