Harris praised the family for their courage in speaking out and tied Thurman’s death to Donald Trump’s actions while president.
“The former president chose three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would overdo the protections of Roe v. Wade,” Harris said. “And they did as he intended, and in state after state, including yours, these abortion bans have been passed that criminalize health care providers.”
Harris noted that in some states, abortion bans also prescribe life sentences for doctors or nurses who provide abortion services.
Also in attendance at the event was reproductive-rights activist Hadley Duvall. Duvall was impregnated at age 12 by her abusive stepfather and has spoken out against abortion restrictions like those imposed in her home state of Kentucky.
Addressing Duvall, Harris said it was “immoral” for legislators to pass laws regulating women’s bodies, particularly after they had already been violated.
“They have no right to be in your womb,” Winfrey added.
Harris has said that, if elected president, she would sign federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade, thereby reinstating the federal right to abortion.
Trump, on the other hand, has repeatedly praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe. In his Sept. 10 debate with Harris, Trump praised the “genius” of the conservative majority on the court.
“Through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices we were able to do that,” he said, referring to the decision.
His position is not shared by the public at large. Opinion polling consistently shows support for abortion rights and opposition to bans, like those backed by Republicans. In a June poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 70% said that an abortion should be legal in most cases, while 79% said they opposed a federal abortion ban.
Faced with an electorate that opposes one of the Republican Party’s key positions, several Republican candidates running for office this year have attempted to portray themselves as less hostile to abortion rights.
Democrats have said they intend to press the issue to rally voters.
“We’ll make sure the American people will know exactly how the Republicans have voted to restrict reproductive rights,” Rep. Suzan DelBene, chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told the Associated Press.
