From the Biden-Harris 2024 reelection campaign:
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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Vice President Harris ‘Hammering’ Donald Trump in Arizona: “Enough with the Gaslighting” |
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Last night, in Tucson, Arizona, Vice President Harris held Donald Trump directly responsible for the reality he created in Arizona, where women will soon be living under an extreme 1864 abortion ban that provides no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother. The vice president’s comments came shortly after Trump bragged that he “broke Roe” and said the extreme abortion bans that resulted are “working the way it is supposed to.” In her speech, Vice President Harris made it clear that Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are to blame for stripping women of their right to reproductive health care, saying: “We must all understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this.” On the idea that Trump may not sign a national abortion ban if reelected, Vice President Harris had a clear message: “Enough with the gaslighting.” Take a look at what they are saying about Vice President Harris’ powerful remarks in Arizona last night below: On Arizona Front Pages |
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On the Airwaves On CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Kate Bedingfield: “[Vice President Kamala Harris is] She’s excellent. I mean, I think this is an issue that she clearly feels very passionately about and it’s not a surprise when a candidate, when an elected official, feels really strongly about something, they are an effective messenger. They deliver it with passion. I think you certainly saw that from her in Arizona today, and I would note the fact that that her team moved so quickly to get her to Arizona, it is not easy and it’s not simple to move the Vice President quickly. There’s a lot of security, logistics, existing conflicts on her schedule that make it hard to move quickly. So the fact that she wanted to be so nimble and get there quickly and really drive this again just reinforces what an effective message and issue this is for the Biden-Harris campaign. But also I think it’s a reflection of how strongly she feels about this. And so that makes her a powerful messenger.” On MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight, Alex Wager: “Today at a campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona, Vice President Kamala Harris went on the offensive. Just three days after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled the state’s 1864 abortion ban is enforceable, Vice President Harris made it abundantly clear there is one person responsible for all of this: former President Donald trump. She also argued women’s rights and basic freedoms depend on keeping Trump out of the White House.” On ABC News, Selina Wang: “The campaign, they are being very nimble on this. They are trying to use every opportunity to get the abortion message out. And this is where we’re really seeing Vice President Harris shine. This is where they are putting her at the forefront while you’ve seen President Biden take a back seat at this. They are letting Vice President Harris be the target of the Republican attacks, but also be the carrier of this message as a woman herself, the first female Vice President. She is taking this message. She has been on a nationwide tour about women’s reproductive health rights. She also had visited an abortion clinic last month. So she is the one to deliver this message. This is her key focus going forward.” ON MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, Katie Phang: “This afternoon, Vice President Kamala Harris, the highest elected female official in our country, lambasted Donald Trump in a fiery speech in Arizona, blasting the state Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a civil rights [war] -era, near-total abortion ban.” Vice President Kala Harris: “We must all understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this. During his campaign in 2016, Donald Trump said women should be punished for seeking an abortion. Don’t forget that. He said women should be punished. As President, Donald Trump hand-picked three members of the United States Supreme Court because he intended — intended for them to overturn Roe. And as he intended, they did.” Donald Trump: “If you look at what we’ve done with Roe v Wade, we did something that everyone said couldn’t be done, and we got it done. And I give great credit to the Supreme Court and the Justices for having the courage to do it.” Katie Phang: “Courage? More like cruelty. But that is the point. Stripping women of their rights to life-saving health care using a draconian law. Think about it. 160 years ago, when this law was originally enacted, Arizona was a territory. Women had no power, and Vice President Harris, she would have been a slave. According to the Guttmacher Institute, an estimated 18 million women do not have abortion access in their state. But here’s the thing. This isn’t 1864. It is 2024, women wield power. They hold office, and when they speak out they are heard.” On CNN’s Newsroom with Kim Brunhuber, Amara Walker: “As soon as the Arizona Supreme Court abortion ban ruling came down, Vice President Kamala Harris immediately announced that she would be traveling to Arizona. She did so on Friday. And of course she condemned this abortion ban, calling it one of the biggest aftershocks yet since Roe v. Wade was overturned. And of course she pointed a finger straight at Trump. […] So the Biden campaign launched the seven-figure ad buy in Arizona following this ruling. But talk to us about how the Biden campaign, Stephen, sees this as a really potent issue that will mobilize moderate and women voters especially in battleground states like Arizona.” On NewsNation, Morning In America with Adrienne, Hena Doba: “Those are forceful comments demanding change by Vice President Kamala Harris. It was in Arizona. It comes after this week’s ruling by Arizona’s Supreme Court overturning abortion rights in that very state. That decision reenacts a 160 year-old ban that was put in place when Arizona was still a territory. […] It’s an issue that state legislatures across the nation are debating on whether to enforce new restrictions of their own.” On CNN’s This Morning Weekend, Pricilla Alverez: “The Vice President’s trip to Tucson, Arizona provided a window into 2024 and how Democrats are going to frame the issue of abortion and also hit back against former President Donald Trump. Only moments before the Vice President took the stage, Donald Trump said that he broke Roe v. Wade and also said that states are doing what they’re supposed to on this issue. The Vice President taking aim at the former president for his remarks.” Vice President Harris: “Just minutes ago, standing beside Speaker Johnson, Donald Trump just said the collection of state bans is quote ‘working the way it is supposed to.’ And as much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse. Donald Trump’s friends in the United States Congress are trying to pass a national ban. And understand a national ban would outlaw abortion in every state. Even states like New York and California. And now Trump wants us to believe he will not sign a national ban. Enough with the gaslighting. Enough with the gaslighting.” Pricilla Alvarez: “The vice president also said that Donald Trump wants to take the United States back to the 1800s, casting the state supreme court ruling as an inflection point and also tying the former president to these unpopular abortion bans across the country, calling them ‘trump, abortion bans.’ Now of course, this a […] salient political issue for the Biden campaign, and one that they’re trying to seize on heading into November. In fact, in the state of Arizona, they are pouring more money into abortion-related ads and planning to air those in the battleground state. Now the Vice President in particular has been uniquely positioned on this issue. She began tackling it shortly after Roe was overturned, but also at the beginning of this year with her reproductive freedoms tour, where has already done six stops nationwide.” On Scripps News, Haley Bull: “Vice President Harris drawing sharp contrast to former President Trump on abortion as the campaign invests time and media in the state that President Biden narrowly won in 2020 and that could be critical for 2024 […] Vice President Kamala Harris on the attack that Trump is responsible for the chaos on abortion laws across the country. Democrats have won elections on this issue in the past two years […] Harris’s pre scheduled campaign appearance in Tucson comes days after Arizona’s Supreme Court upheld a civil war-era law banning abortion.” On CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, Dave Chalian: “Three arguments were really clear there. It’s Donald Trump’s fault that that’s clear as MJ noted, Donald Trump is gaslighting you and lying to you when he says that he won’t sign a national abortion ban, she said ‘enough of the gaslighting,’ and then she turns it and says, she makes it a proactive argument to this Democratic group: we’re going to prevent this from happening — he wants to take us back to the 1800s, this is 2024. So it gives that forward-looking, proactive, not just negative on Trump, but mobilize for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris around this. That’s the argument.” On CNN’s News Central with Brianna Keilar: “Soon, Vice President Kamala Harris will be speaking in Arizona as the fight for access to abortion intensifies in that battleground state. On Tuesday, the State Supreme Court reinstated a near-total abortion ban that dates all the way back to the Civil War era. In remarks, Harris is expected to say that the ban is quote, ‘One of the biggest aftershocks yet following the United States Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, and she’s expected to place blame squarely before former President Trump.” Online @albamonica: VP Harris in Arizona: “Enough with the gaslighting. We all know: if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban… just look at his record.” @NidiaCavazosTV: Tucson, AZ @vp tells Arizona voters during campaign stop: “Here’s what a second Trump term looks like: more bans, more suffering, and less freedom.” @joeygarrison: VP Harris in Arizona: “Just minutes ago, standing beside Speaker Johnson, Donald Trump just said, the collection of state (abortion) bans is quote, ‘working the way it is supposed to.’ As much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse.” @AlannaVagianos: Kamala Harris says Trump is the “architect” behind the current abortion care crisis at a campaign rally on Friday. “We all must understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this.” In Print HuffPost: Kamala Harris On Near-Total Arizona Abortion Ban: ‘Donald Trump Did This’ [Alanna Vagianos, 4/12/24] Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a campaign event in Arizona on Friday following the state Supreme Court’s recent ruling that an 1864 near-total abortion ban can go into effect. “Here in Arizona, they have turned the back the clock to the 1800s to take away a woman’s most fundamental right, the right to make decisions over her own body,” Harris told a crowd in Tucson. “The overturning of Roe was, without any question, a seismic event. And this ban here in Arizona is one of the biggest aftershocks yet.” […] “We all must understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this,” Harris said. “Donald Trump is the architect of this health care crisis. And that is not a fact, by the way, that he hides. In fact, he brags about it.” Washington Post: Harris calls Trump ‘architect’ of the abortion restrictions taking hold [Molly Hennessy-Fiske, 4/12/24] Vice President Harris visited a Tucson community center on Friday to campaign in support of abortion rights days after the state’s highest court cleared the way for a Civil War-era abortion ban to take effect. “Donald Trump is the architect of this health-care crisis. And that’s not a fact he hides. In fact, he brags about it,” Harris said to a diverse, mostly female crowd that packed the center’s auditorium. NBC News: Kamala Harris hammers Trump on abortion in Arizona visit [Megan Lebowitz and Zoë Richards, 4/12/14] Harris slammed Trump over his record and rhetoric on abortion, calling him the “architect of this healthcare crisis,” as the court ruling brings the vital swing state to the forefront of abortion politics. “President Donald Trump hand-picked three members of the United States Supreme Court because he intended for them to overturn Roe, and as he intended they did,” she said in Tucson. […] “Joe Biden and I trust women to know what is in their own best interest,” the vice president said. “And women trust all of us, to fight to protect their most fundamental freedoms. So Arizona, this November, up and down the ballot, reproductive freedom is at stake and you have the power to protect it with your vote.” Arizona Republic: Vice President Kamala Harris blames Trump for Arizona abortion ban ahead of Tucson visit [Laura Gersony, 4/12/24] Vice President Kamala Harris argued Friday that former President Donald Trump is to blame for the Arizona Supreme Court’s Tuesday decision to uphold a near-total ban on abortion, countering the former president’s recent efforts to distance himself from the decision. “Donald Trump is the architect of this health care crisis. And that’s not a fact, by the way, that he hides. In fact, he brags about it,” Harris said to a crowd of about 100 supporters at El Rio Neighborhood Center in Tucson. “Just minutes ago, (Trump) said … the collection of state bans is ‘working the way it’s supposed to,'” Harris said, referencing Trump’s remarks at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The day before Tuesday’s decision, Trump reiterated his support for the U.S. Supreme Court’s rollback of Roe v. Wade […] Harris has traveled across the country to rail against Republican-led attempts to restrict abortion. She appeared in Phoenix in early March to argue that Arizona’s laws “criminalize doctors” and “punish” women, calling the state’s anti-abortion advocates “extremists.” […] Biden’s campaign released a statement along the same lines, calling Trump’s comment a “scramble” on a law “he enabled.” CNN: Harris goes on the offensive over abortion rights in Arizona: ‘Trump did this’ [Priscilla Alvarez and Michael Williams, 4/12/24] The decision, which revived a 160-year-old law barring all abortions except in cases when “it is necessary to save” a pregnant woman’s life, “demonstrated once and for all that overturning Roe was just the opening act of a larger strategy” to restrict abortion access in the United States, Harris said. The ruling, she said, marked an “inflection point” in the fight over abortion rights. “And we all must understand who all is to blame,” she said. “Former President Donald Trump did this.” New York Times: Harris Blasts Trump on Abortion at Arizona Campaign Stop [Nicholas Nehamas, 4/12/14] “Overturning Roe was just the opening act,” Ms. Harris told a crowd of several dozen supporters at a community center in Tucson, Ariz. “Just the opening act of a larger strategy to take women’s rights and freedoms. Part of a full-on attack — state by state — on reproductive freedom. And we all must understand who is to blame: Former President Donald Trump did this.” Ms. Harris went on to call abortion restrictions in states like Arizona “Trump’s abortion bans.” […] “Here’s what a second Trump term looks like,” Ms. Harris said. “More bans, more suffering and less freedom. Just like he did in Arizona, he basically wants to take America back to the 1800s.” CBS News: Kamala Harris blames Trump for abortion bans during Arizona visit [Nidia Cavazos, 4/12/24] Vice President Kamala Harris is in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday to cast former President Donald Trump as the architect of the restrictive abortion bans emerging nationwide in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down the federal right to an abortion. […] “Here in Arizona, they have turned back the clock to the 1800s to take away a woman’s most fundamental right, the right to make decisions about her own body,” Harris said of the ruling. She called Trump “the architect of this health care crisis.” “Because of Donald Trump, more than 20 states in our nation have bans,” Harris said. “Now, because of Donald Trump, one in three women of reproductive age in our country live in a state that has a Trump abortion ban.” She warned that a second Trump term would bring more bans. “We all know if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban, and how do we know? Just look at his record,” she said. “Just look at the facts. Y’all know I’m a former prosecutor.” Axios: Harris on Trump’s abortion stance: “Enough with the gaslighting” [Shauneen Miranda, 4/12/24] Vice President Kamala Harris attacked former President Trump’s abortion record during a visit to Arizona Friday, calling him the “architect of this health care crisis” as she cast post-Roe America at risk of reverting to the 1800s. Why it matters: The Biden campaign is eager to drive Democratic voter turnout in the key swing state after its Supreme Court’s decision this week to uphold a restrictive Civil War-era abortion ban, with exceptions only to save the mother’s life.
Zoom in: “We all must understand who is to blame — former President Donald Trump did this,” Harris said.
USA Today: ‘Biggest aftershocks yet.’ Kamala Harris blasts Trump over Arizona’s near-total abortion ban [Joey Garrison, 4/13/24] Vice President Kamala Harris blasted Donald Trump in a visit Friday to Arizona in the wake of the state Supreme Court reinstating an 1864 abortion ban, arguing the former president was responsible for what she said was a “full-on” attack on reproductive rights. “We all must understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this,” Harris said Friday, speaking in Tucson, Arizona to room of about 100 supporters at a campaign event for President Joe Biden. “Donald Trump is the architect of this health care crisis.” […] “The overturning of Roe was without any question a seismic event, and this ban here in Arizona is one of the biggest aftershocks yet,” Harris said, calling Arizona’s abortion ban “a new inflection point.” “It has demonstrated, once and for all, that overturning Roe was just the opening act of a larger strategy to take women’s rights and freedoms, part of a full-on attack, state by state, on reproductive freedom.” […] “As much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse,” Harris said, arguing that Trump is “gaslighting” when he says he doesn’t want a national abortion ban. “We all know if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban. And how do we know? Just look at his record.” The Guardian: Kamala Harris blames Donald Trump for Arizona abortion-ban debacle in speech [Dani Anguiano, 4/12/24] “The overturning of Roe was, without any question, a seismic event and this ban here in Arizona is one of the biggest aftershocks yet,” she said. […] The ban was made possible by Trump, Harris argued, who had said he is “proudly” responsible for the supreme court overturning Roe v Wade in 2022. “Former president Donald Trump did this. During his campaign in 2016, Donald Trump said women should be punished for seeking an abortion,” she said. Arizona’s ban is a new inflection point, Harris said. “It has demonstrated once and for all that overturning Roe was just the opening act of a larger strategy to take women’s rights and freedoms, part of a full-on attack, state by state, on reproductive freedom.” […] “Arizona, this November up and down the ballot reproductive freedom is at stake, and you have the power to protect it with your vote,” Harris said. The Hill: Harris in Arizona: Trump ‘gaslighting’ on abortion [Alex Gangitano, 4/12/24] “Enough with the gaslighting. We all know if Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban,” she told a crowd in Tucson. “He basically wants to take America back to the 1800s,” Harris added. “But we are not going to let that happen. Because, here’s the deal, this is 2024 not the 1800s and we’re not going back. We are not going back.” […] She placed the blame squarely on Trump, which President Biden’s reelection campaign has used as a strategy for months to warn about what a second term for the former president could mean for reproductive rights. Politico: Harris hits Trump on abortion from Arizona [Kierra Frazier and Eugene Daniels, 4/12/24] “We all must understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this,” Harris said at a campaign event in Tucson, Arizona. “During his campaign in 2016, Donald Trump said women should be punished for seeking an abortion.” Harris’ campaign trip to Arizona comes just days after the state’s high court upheld a 160-year-old law outlawing abortions unless the patient’s life is in danger. Harris blamed Trump in a statement following the ruling, saying, “It’s a reality because of Donald Trump, who brags about being ‘proudly the person responsible’ for overturning Roe v. Wade.” Arizona Daily Star: In Tucson, VP Kamala Harris blames Trump for Arizona’s near-ban on abortion [Erika Wurst, 4/12/24] “Donald Trump is the architect of this health care crisis. And that’s not a fact he hides,” Harris told a friendly audience during her speech Friday at El Rio Center on Tucson’s west side. “In fact, it’s something he brags about … and as much harm as he has already caused, a second Trump term would be even worse,” she said. “If Donald Trump gets the chance, he will sign a national abortion ban. How do we know? Look at his record … here’s what a second Trump term looks like: more bans, more suffering, less freedom. We’re not going to let that happen.” Tucson Sentinel: Vice President Harris tells Tucson crowd that Trump is to blame for Az abortion ban [Jim Nintzel, 4/12/24] Vice President Kamala Harris laid the blame for the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to uphold an 1864 abortion ban squarely on former president and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump during a visit to Tucson on Friday. “Just this week here in Arizona, they have turned the clock back more than a century to take away a woman’s most fundamental right, the right to make decisions about her own body,” Harris said during a rally at El Rio Neighborhood Center. “What has happened here in Arizona is a new inflection point. It has demonstrated once and for all that overturning Roe was just the opening act—just the opening act of a larger strategy to take women’s rights and freedoms, part of a full-on attack state by state on reproductive freedom. And we all must understand who is to blame. Former President Donald Trump did this,” she said. […] “Donald Trump picked three members of the Supreme Court because he intended for them overturn Roe and as he intended, they did,” Harris said. And now, because of Donald Trump, more than 20 states in our nation have bans. Now, because of Donald Trump, one in three women of reproductive age in our country live in a state that has a Trump abortion ban.” […] “Trump wants us to believe he will not sign a national ban,” the Democratic vice president said. “Enough with the gaslighting. We all know if Donald Trump gets the chance he will sign a national abortion ban. … Congress tried to pass a national abortion ban in 2017. And then-President Trump endorsed it and promised to sign it if he got on his desk.” |
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