By Colleen Long and Chris Megerian | Associated Press
MANASSAS, Va. — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris rallied for abortion rights here on Tuesday as they prepared for a likely rematch with Donald Trump, the former Republican president who paved the way for overturning Roe v. Wade.
“He’s betting we won’t hold him responsible,” Biden said to a crowd of hundreds of cheering supporters. “He’s betting you’re going to stop caring.”
“But guess what?” he added. “I’m betting he’s wrong. I’m betting you won’t forget.”
The rally came on the same day as the Republican primary in New Hampshire, where Trump plans to tighten his grip on his party’s presidential nomination, and it demonstrated how Democrats hope to harness ongoing anger over abortion restrictions to blunt his comeback bid.
Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court less than two years ago in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a decision enabled by three conservative justices appointed by Trump.
“The person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump,” he said.
Biden was interrupted several times by protests over Israel’s war in Gaza, with one shouting “shame on you!”
“This is going to go on for a while; they got this planned,” the Democratic president said as the protestors were escorted out one by one.
Biden and Harris were joined by their spouses, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff, at Monday’s rally. It’s the first time the four of them have appeared together since the campaign began, a reflection of the importance that Democrats are putting on abortion this year.
Jill Biden told a story about a friend who became pregnant in high school, years before Roe v. Wade. The friend, she said, needed to get a psychiatric evaluation to be declared mentally unfit before she could get the abortion.
“Secrecy, shame, silence, danger, even death. That’s…
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