In a video message released on Monday, President Joe Biden commemorated the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, a ruling that had guaranteed federal abortion rights for nearly five decades. Biden pledged to restore the right to abortion and “protect American freedom” if re-elected.
The president placed blame for the reversal of abortion rights squarely on his predecessor, Donald Trump, quoting Trump’s boasts about the decision and his role in appointing three conservative justices to the court. Biden warned that the reversal of Roe v Wade was “just the beginning” for Trump’s followers, who he claimed would seek to ban the right to choose nationwide and target birth control and IVF next.
Biden’s message emphasized the importance of reproductive rights in his re-election campaign, amid polling evidence that concerns over abortion rights represent Democrats’ best hope of retaining the White House in November. Since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, ballots in several states have upheld or enshrined abortion rights locally, signaling popular resonance particularly among female voters.
The president’s vow to restore abortion rights comes as several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights, announced a $100m Abortion Access Now campaign across several states. Vice President Kamala Harris has also been giving press interviews on abortion, highlighting the centrality of the issue in the Biden administration’s agenda.
