Biden vows to block GOP abortion ban efforts at campaign rally with Harris

President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned that the movement led by former president Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress is seeking to criminalise basic health care for women on a national level and vowed to hold the line against GOP anti-abortion proposals as long as he is in the White House.

Speaking at a campaign event alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff — the first joint appearance of the likely 2024 Democratic ticket — Mr Biden warned that Republicans, if returned to power in the White House, will act to roll back protections and civil rights not just for women, but for LGBT+ Americans and anyone who relies on the right to privacy laid out in a string of US Supreme Court precedents legalising contraception, marriage equality and decriminalising same-sex relations.

In between a dozen disruptions from protesters shouting out against his handling of the Israel-Hamas war — outbursts that were quickly drowned out by successive chants of “four more years” and “let’s go, Joe” — Mr Biden pointed to efforts by Republican state attorneys general to criminalise the use of medication abortion within their states and to prosecute family members who help their relatives procure abortion care.

The president also warned that his likely 2024 opponent, Mr Trump, is in favour of such proposals, and has himself endorsed a federal ban on abortion.

“That means even if you live in a state where extremist Republicans are not in charge of the state government, the right to choose your right to privacy is still a risk. But as long as I have power of the presidency know this, if Congress were to pass a national abortion ban I will veto it,” he said, drawing cheers from the crowd at a