Kamala Harris on Friday accused Republican rival Donald Trump and his party of being “hypocrites” on the issue of abortion, as voters headed to the polls for November’s US election.
The Democrat delivered the most forceful speech of his campaign so far, in which he blamed Trump for abortion restrictions in battleground Georgia that led to the deaths of two women.
“And these hypocrites want to talk about this being in the best interest of women and children,” the vice president said to cheers from a predominantly female audience at a rally in Atlanta, Georgia.
“Well, where have you been? Where have you been when it comes to taking care of the women and children of America? How dare they?”
Since replacing President Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket two months ago, Harris has repeatedly focused on what she calls the “Trump abortion ban.”
Trump has frequently claimed during his campaign that his three Supreme Court justices have paved the way for eliminating a national right to abortion in 2022.
At least 20 states have enacted full or partial bans, with Georgia banning most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.
Harris led the crowd in chanting the name of Amber Nicole Thurman, a 28-year-old mother of one from Georgia who developed a rare complication from abortion pills and died during emergency surgery in 2022.
An official state committee blamed a “preventable” delay in a crucial procedure for the fatal outcome.
“We will make sure Amber is not remembered as just a statistic,” Harris said, adding that she met Thurman’s family on Thursday during a campaign event hosted by chat show star Oprah Winfrey.
– ‘excited’ –
Harris’s speech on abortion comes as early voting has begun in three US states – Virginia, Minnesota and South Dakota – 46 days before election day, which is a very close contest.
Former President Trump has previously cast doubt on early voting and mail voting in support of his false claims that he won the 2020 election against Biden.
Most U.S. states allow voting in person or voting by mail to help people deal with timing conflicts or an inability to vote on election day on November 5.
Dozens of people waited at a polling station in central Arlington, Virginia, just outside the capital Washington.
Many wore “Harris-Walz” shirts, while some “Trump-Vans” signs were also placed in front of the building.
“I’m excited,” said Michelle Kilkenny, 55. She said voting early, “especially on the first day, helps the campaign and raises the excitement level.”
Ann Spiker, 71, told AFP she usually votes by post, “but I’m going to vote today because it’s so exciting.”
The Democratic supporter said: “I can’t believe we could elect Donald Trump, I get very anxious when I think about it. That’s why we’re out and doing what we can.”
Trump, 78, is facing criminal charges for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, following which his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
– ‘disgusting’ –
Every vote will matter in this race, the result of which Trump has once again refused to accept.
Harris, 59, has eroded Trump’s lead since she sensationally replaced President Biden as the Democratic nominee in July but remains neck-and-neck with the Republican.
The outcome is expected to depend on just seven crucial swing states, including Georgia.
Trump, however, attempted to blame any potential losses on Jewish American voters, sparking outrage on Friday.
“If I don’t win this election … it will hurt the Jewish people, in my opinion,” Trump said at an anti-Semitic event on Thursday, repeating his complaint that Jewish voters have historically leaned toward Democrats.
The White House condemned his comments.
“The use of dangerous rhetoric or scapegoating is abhorrent at any time — even more so now, when all leaders have a responsibility to fight against the tragic rise in anti-Semitism around the world,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)