Vice President Kamala Harris joined MSNBC’s “Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” on Tuesday, fresh off of her announcement that she would be kicking off a national tour next month focused on abortion rights. The tour begins in Wisconsin on Jan. 22, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
“I will be meeting with folks around the country of all types of background, by the way, and political party affiliation to talk about the fact that one — most of us agree that one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held belief to believe that the government should not be telling her what to do with her body,” she said.
Harris described the abortion issue as one of the few “binary” choices for voters, noting there will be a “split screen” next year.
“On the one hand, you’re going to have the folks who are standing, such as President Joe Biden and me, saying we trust women to be able to make a decision about what is in their best interests, and women can trust us to protect their fundamental freedoms,” Harris said.
“And, on the other hand, you’re going to have folks who want a national ban and have the gall to tell women who are even survivors of rape or incest that they don’t have the right to make decisions about what happens to their body next,” she added.
For more on Harris’ response to Trump’s anti-immigrant comments and the push for aid for Ukraine and Israel, check out the interview on MSNBC.com.
In other campaign news …
Trump doubles down: While Trump didn’t comment on the Colorado ruling during a Tuesday night campaign event, he did double down on his anti-immigrant rhetoric, saying again that undocumented immigrants are “destroying the blood of our country,” per NBC’s Zoë Richards. His previous comments about immigrants did draw some criticism from GOP lawmakers, NBC’s Megan Lebowitz reports.
Full Court press: NBC’s Lawrence Hurley writes that the U.S. Supreme Court will play “a decisive role in deciding the many novel issues raised by former President Donald Trump’s legal travails.”
Trump’s plan: A senior Trump campaign official told reporters Monday that Trump plans to secure the GOP nomination by mid-March, given the expected delegate math, NBC’s Vaughn Hillyard, Dasha Burns and Jonathan Allen report.
Christie complications: Politico details how former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s sole focus on New Hampshire could ultimately throw a wrench into former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s plan for a strong showing against Trump in the Granite State, and ultimately help Trump win the nomination.
Poll position: CNBC’s All-America Economic Survey finds that Trump has overcome Biden’s lead among Latino voters.
To the left: Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips has moved to the left in his presidential bid, telling Politico he is planning to sign onto “Medicare for All” legislation.
Trump’s pick: Trump announced Tuesday that he is endorsing businessman Bernie Moreno in Ohio’s GOP Senate primary, per NBC’s Jake Traylor.
These 10 ideas won’t happen: NBC News’ Chuck Todd offers 10 propositions for 2024 – and explains why it’s not likely that any of them will come true.
