Vice President Kamala Harris criticized former President Donald Trump during a rally in Atlanta on Saturday, focusing on his response to the tragic loss of a Georgia family due to abortion complications.
Harris focused her remarks on the case of Amber Thurman, a Georgia mother who died as a result of taking an abortion pill. Thurman's tragic death occurred shortly after Georgia implemented its restrictive abortion law after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022.
“Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept responsibility for the pain and suffering he has caused,” Harris said. She pointed to Trump's recent comment in a Fox News Channel town hall about the Thurman family's participation in a media call: “We're going to get better ratings, I promise.”
Harris condemned Trump's remark and asked: “A grieving family, a grieving family sharing the memory of their daughter with our nation. Where's the compassion?” She added: “What we constantly see from Donald Trump is exactly what this clip shows. He trivializes her grief and focuses on himself and his television ratings. This is cruel.”
Newsweek contacted Trump's campaign via email on Saturday seeking comment.
The vice president's focus on reproductive rights is consistent with Democrats' promise to restore a national right to abortion if they win the White House and enough seats in Congress.
Thurman's family previously thanked Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz for telling their story during his debate with Republican candidate JD Vance.
In a statement provided to Newsweek through her attorney, Thurman's family said they “commend Governor Tim Walz for telling Amber's story and for his unwavering commitment to defending women's reproductive rights.”
The statement said: “Amber's tragic death was a direct result of Georgia's outdated and dangerously restrictive abortion laws, which denied her the life-saving care she so desperately needed.”
“We strongly condemn the Republican platform that seeks to further restrict women's access to necessary health care under the false guise of protection. We mourn an unimaginable loss that no family should have to endure.”
“We must continue to fight against laws that endanger women’s lives, and we are grateful to leaders like Governor Walz who stand up for common-sense laws while showing so much compassion.”
Harris attributed Thurman's death to Georgia's abortion restrictions, which took effect after the Supreme Court's decision involving three conservative justices appointed by Trump. In 2017, while he was in office, the House of Representatives passed a law banning abortions in most cases. Trump urged the Senate to pass a 20-week ban bill, but it never passed.
However, he achieved a major pro-life goal by nominating Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, leading to the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
During a recent interview with Fox News, Trump reflected on the issue: “For 52 years, this issue has torn our country apart. Every legal scholar – the big ones – every lawyer, the Democrats, the Republicans, the liberals, the conservatives, they wanted it brought from the federal government to the states so that it could be voted on by the people.
After Dobbs, the landscape of abortion access changed dramatically. Fourteen Republican-controlled states now ban abortion at any stage of pregnancy, while most Democratic-led states have passed laws protecting abortion access.
Early voting is underway in Georgia; Over 1.2 million ballots have already been cast. Harris encouraged participation, pointing out that former President Jimmy Carter voted by mail shortly after his 100th birthday.
Recent polls from doxoINSIGHTS show that abortion and reproductive rights are the most important election issue for 23 percent of voters in swing states.
U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris waves to the crowd before speaking at a campaign rally on early voting on October 19, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Both Vice President Kamala Harris…
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The poll also found that residents of Georgia (29 percent) and North Carolina (27 percent) prioritize health care, while Nevada residents (20 percent) are most concerned about abortion and reproductive rights.
