Politics
Democrats in crucial US election states criticize Trump’s stance on abortion
Democrats blitzed target states Tuesday with a campaign to mobilize voters on reproductive rights ahead of November’s election, highlighting efforts by Donald Trump and the Republicans to curb abortion access.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries headlined a “field hearing” in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a day after a ruling by the state’s Supreme Court paved the way for a six-week abortion ban to come into effect next month.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden’s election campaign launched an ad reminding voters of Trump’s role in ending the federal right to abortion.
Conservatives have been seeking to enact severe curbs on reproductive health care nationwide since the US Supreme Court — bolstered by three Trump appointees — gutted abortion access in 2022.
Republicans claimed victory in the ruling — which overturned the 40-year-old “Roe v. Wade” precedent — and quickly enacted strict bans or restrictions in most states they control.
But a comfortable majority of Americans think abortion should be legal in most cases, according to extensive polling, and around half of states have measures in place to protect access.
Jeffries was joined in the southeastern city of Fort Lauderdale by health secretary Xavier Becerra, members of Congress and women from Florida who faced difficulty getting access to abortions.
“Florida is now ground zero in the fight to protect a woman’s freedom to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions,” Jeffries said.
“And as House Democrats, we are here to make clear we stand with you to protect reproductive freedom.”
While the Florida ruling makes it one of the most restrictive states, the state’s high court also decided that November’s ballot can include an amendment to enshrine abortion rights in Florida’s constitution.
The amendment — which has the 60 per cent support it needs to pass, according to early polling — would permit abortions until “viability,” or about 24 weeks.
– Democrats target ‘winnable’ Florida –
Since Roe fell, abortion rights advocates have won seven straight referendum victories.
Meanwhile, Republicans have struggled to stake out a definitive position on the issue and were punished in the 2022 midterm elections as candidates lost key battlegrounds to pro-choice candidates.
Trump criticized Florida’s ban when he was competing for the Republican presidential nomination against the Sunshine State’s popular governor, Ron DeSantis, who signed it into law.
The 77-year-old former president gets a vote on the ballot initiative as a Florida resident but hasn’t said whether he will support it.
Democrats are giving women’s bodily autonomy top billing again in 2024, characterizing Trump as the architect of attacks on reproductive rights in a long-shot bid to make Florida competitive in the state’s Senate race.
The Biden campaign argued in a memo that Florida is “winnable” if abortion remains “front and centre” in the election.
In a new 30-second ad launched Tuesday, the campaign shows Trump bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade, part of a $30 million effort targeting voters in the swing states.
“Because for 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated — and I did it. And I’m proud to have done it,” Trump is seen saying.
Vice President Kamala Harris warned that millions of women in Florida and beyond would experience the “cruel reality” of travelling hundreds or thousands of miles to get abortions, while doctors would be threatened with prosecution “for doing their jobs.”
“For Donald Trump, it is not enough that more than one in three women of reproductive age in America live in a state with a ban,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement.
“It is not enough that millions of women in America have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers. Yet, if Donald Trump has his way, he’ll gut abortion care in every state across the country — and he has the plans to do it.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has called on Governor Seyi Makinde to resign immediately, alleging that his recent remarks on state security exposed incompetence and an inability to lead.
Governor Makinde, speaking during his acceptance speech as the Presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Ibadan on Saturday, lamented that he could do little to rescue abducted school children and residents in Oriire Local Government Area due to all security structures being under federal control.
Reacting, APC State Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, described the governor’s comments as “the height of cluelessness, insincerity, and criminal ineptitude,” warning that such disclosures reflect a dangerous trend among parochial leaders.
Sadare said, “Engr. Seyi Makinde could not find any fault in the nation’s Constitution, yet he swore twice to protect lives and properties of Oyo people. He has long enjoyed the powers of his office, controlling resources and people without challenge, but now faces a serious test, exposing incompetence, cluelessness, and ego.”
He added, “Instead of addressing security challenges, Makinde is exploiting the situation to push a mirage he calls a presidential ambition in 2027. His insensitive comments once again reveal hypocrisy. It is time he quit the office of the governor, having admitted he lacks the capacity to secure the state.”
The APC also recalled that previous governors, including Alhaji Lam Adesina, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, and the late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, operated under the same constitutional provisions without similar security failures. Sadare particularly praised Ajimobi for establishing a Security Trust Fund to ensure funding and stakeholder involvement in security, in contrast to the current administration.
“Makinde’s presidential ambition is dead on arrival. Our concern is the continued loss, deprivation, and mismanagement the people of Oyo may suffer in the remaining year of his tenure. The state deserves a team player, a sincere and humble governor — qualities Makinde has failed to demonstrate in seven years. He should apologise and step down,” Sadare concluded.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Saturday emerged as the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) for the 2027 general election following the conclusion of the party’s presidential nomination process.
Makinde emerged through consensus and affirmation by party delegates during the exercise, in what party leaders described as a demonstration of unity and confidence in his leadership ahead of the next general elections.
The governor was presented with his Certificate of Return by the National Chairman of the APM, Alhaji Yusuf Dantali, during a ceremony held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, amid cheers from party faithful, delegates and supporters drawn from different parts of the country.
Speaking during the presentation, Dantali said Makinde possesses the leadership qualities, administrative experience and vision required to steer the country towards sustainable growth and national development.
He urged party members across the federation to close ranks and intensify grassroots mobilisation to ensure victory for the party in the 2027 presidential election.
The APM national chairman maintained that the party remained committed to presenting Nigerians with what he described as a credible alternative capable of addressing the country’s economic, security and governance challenges.
According to him, the emergence of Makinde as the party’s flag bearer marked the beginning of a new political movement aimed at restoring hope and strengthening democratic governance in the country.
In his acceptance speech, Governor Makinde expressed appreciation to the leadership of the party and delegates for the confidence reposed in him, pledging to work with stakeholders across political, ethnic and religious divides to advance the party’s vision for national transformation.
The governor assured party supporters of his commitment to inclusive leadership, promising to prioritise policies that would improve economic prosperity, strengthen institutions and enhance the welfare of Nigerians if elected.
Five key members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State have been appointed to the party’s campaign committee for the 2026 governorship re-election of Governor Abiodun Oyebanji in Ekiti State.
The Oyo APC leaders on the list include the party’s governorship candidate, Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, former Senate leader Teslim Folarin, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, Zacch Adedeji, and Remi Oseni.
The list, signed by the party’s National Secretary, Sen. Ajibola Basiru, reflects the APC’s strategy of deploying experienced political figures with strong grassroots networks to ensure a successful re-election campaign in Ekiti.
“These appointments recognise their political experience and commitment to advancing the party’s agenda,” the source within the party said.
The APC committee is expected to coordinate campaign activities, voter engagement, and messaging, positioning the party for a strong showing in the 2026 governorship election.
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