Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign has launched a “Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour” aimed at highlighting abortion as a key issue in the upcoming election. The 50-stop tour kicked off on Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida, near former President Donald Trump's residence, highlighting perceived differences between the two presidential candidates on the issue.
Contrast with Trump
According to the Palm Beach Post, the choice to start the tour in Florida, close to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, is a deliberate effort to “amplify the differences” between the two sides, with Trump's inconsistent stance on abortion now being used to galvanize Democratic support among suburban women.
Last week, President Trump voiced his opposition to Florida's Amendment 4 (also known as the “Abortion Rights Initiative”), a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a legal right to abortion in the state and prohibit the government from imposing significant restrictions on access to abortion “services.”
Meanwhile, a day earlier, President Trump criticized Florida's six-week abortion ban, which is on the ballot in November, as “too short,” though he did not provide a clear answer as to his position on the bill. While campaigning against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in early March, President Trump said the six-week limit was “too harsh.”
The Hill reports that Trump is apparently “unsettled” on the issue of abortion, but has strongly suggested that his administration would be “great for women and their reproductive rights.” But Democrats are portraying him as a radical anti-abortion activist who would outlaw all abortions if given the chance.
“In the coming months, we'll be traveling the country, visiting communities and making sure every voter understands how this election threatens our reproductive rights,” Julie Chavez Rodriguez, campaign manager for the Harris-Waltz campaign, told The Washington Post.
The Harris campaign has also responded to recent developments, such as Trump's controversial policy proposal to allow the government or insurance companies to cover in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. The Harris-Waltz campaign blasted the move, calling it an attempt to garner support from suburban female voters while reminding them of Trump and the Republican Party's role in enabling states to restrict the “right” to abortion and IVF.
tour
The tour's first event featured pro-abortion figures including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), media personality Ana Navarro and “reproductive rights speaker” Anya Cook.
In her speech, Cook recounted her heartbreaking near-death experience and said Trump was entirely to blame. In 2022, Cook, who lives in Florida, suffered a devastating miscarriage after being denied an abortion for her 16-week-old baby, who was diagnosed with no chance of survival. “Doctors told my husband I would likely die in the operating room and that the best thing they could do to save my life was to remove my uterus. I blame it all on Donald Trump,” she said.
Cook also blasted Trump for bragging about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade and “enforcing anti-abortion laws” in states, one of which “almost took” her life.
“The American people have shown time and time again that they will not accept a country where their daughters have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers. Americans believe that women should have the right to make decisions about their own health care, not politicians,” she said, without mentioning the right to life of unborn girls.
“This November, reproductive freedom is on the ballot,” she posted on X.
Klobuchar believes abortion will make Florida more competitive this election cycle, citing the fierce battle between Mucarsel and Powell to replace Republican Sen. Rick Scott.
“I think Florida is going to be an issue, and the[reproductive rights]amendment is going to put Florida in the spotlight,” she told CNN, according to The Hill. It remains to be seen whether abortion will be more important to Floridians in November than key issues like the economy and immigration.
Harris' stance on abortion
Kamala Harris has been a longtime supporter of abortion. As Attorney General of California, she opposed anti-abortion measures and supported access to abortion care. During her time in the U.S. Senate, Harris co-sponsored the Women's Health Protection Act, which aimed to codify Roe v. Wade and prevent states from enacting laws restricting abortion. She also supported many other pro-abortion measures, as detailed in the Desert Report.
As a senator, she vehemently opposed the confirmation of Supreme Court justices she saw as a threat to abortion “rights.”
As vice president, Harris has continued to defend abortion access and voiced opposition to the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. She has stressed the importance of protecting “reproductive rights” at the federal level and has worked to rally public support for policies that guarantee women the right to make their own medical decisions.
In March, Harris made history when she toured a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota, becoming the first sitting US vice president to visit an abortion provider.
The way forward
The Harris-Waltz bus tour will visit key battleground states including Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Georgia, with plans to visit more states in the fall. The tour aims to energize voters and increase turnout as several states face abortion-related votes in November.
A recent New York Times/Siena poll found that abortion appears to be an important issue for a “growing percentage” of registered voters in battleground states, with 14% saying it was the most important factor in determining their vote. “Among women under 45, abortion has surpassed the economy as the most important issue in their vote,” the paper wrote.
The Harris-Waltz campaign is betting that a focus on abortion will resonate with young women and allow them to draw a clear line between their policies and those of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, who have called for leaving abortion decisions to states.
