Kamala Harris criticises JD Vance's abortion stance after he formally accepts VP nomination

WASHINGTON: US Vice President Kamala Harris sharply criticised Ohio Senator JD Vance's position on abortion rights following his formal acceptance of the nomination as former President Donald Trump's running mate for the upcoming presidential election. Harris's comments came in a statement where she condemned Vance's alignment with what she described as the "extreme" Project 2025 plan, which she claims aims to impose nationwide restrictions on abortion.

"Make no mistake: If elected, J.D. Vance will help implement the extreme Project 2025 plan for a second Trump term, which outlines a plan to restrict access to contraception and ban abortion nationwide. We will stop them," Harris said in a post on X. This criticism comes in the wake of Vance's recent statements where he has publicly aligned himself with Trump's viewpoint that abortion should be governed by state laws rather than federal mandates. Despite this position, Vance's past comments from January 2022 reveal a more stringent stance, as he expressed support for a national abortion ban and showed sympathy towards federal action to counteract state-level abortion rights, CNN reported. At the time, Vance stated on a podcast, "I certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally," signaling his support for a broad federal ban to prevent women from traveling to states with more permissive abortion laws. In a recent Fox News interview, however, Vance emphasised his support for Trump's approach, which advocates for a decentralised strategy where states individually decide their abortion policies. "My view is that Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party, and his views on abortion are going to be the views that dominate this party and drive this party forward," Vance said, advocating for a policy where states like Alabama and California could make divergent decisions on abortion. The debate over abortion rights remains a contentious issue in US politics, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision which overturned Roe v Wade and sparked a series of state-level legislative battles. The 2022 midterm elections highlighted a backlash against anti-abortion policies, with many Republican candidates suffering defeats due in part to their stances on abortion, as reported by CNN. In response to this evolving political climate, many Republicans, including Vance, have shifted their rhetoric. Vance himself critiqued the Republican Party's messaging on abortion following the 2023 Ohio constitutional amendment that protected abortion rights, acknowledging that voters were sceptical of anti-abortion positions. On the third night of the Republican National Convention, Vance also addressed the recent assassination attempt on Trump, emphasising the former president's resilience and dedication to the nation. Trump, observing the speech from inside the arena, stood up to clap as Vance took the stage, signaling his approval of the 39-year-old senator from Ohio. If elected alongside Trump, Vance would become the second youngest vice president in American history.