'He Shouldn't Be Telling Women...': Kamala Harris, Donald Trump Spar Over Abortion Rights

Trump vs Harris Debate: In a heated exchange during the debate, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris clashed over abortion policy, with Harris pledging to restore Roe v. Wade protections and Trump defending the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn it. "I think the American people believe that certain freedoms -- in particular the freedom to make decisions about one's own body -- should not be made by the government," Harris said. 

The Vice President criticized Trump’s stance, claiming he is pushing for a national abortion ban. “I pledge to you when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade, as President of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law,” Harris declared.

Trump, however, defended his position, lauding the Supreme Court's ruling as a positive development. “I am not signing a ban,” he asserted. “A national abortion ban is not needed.” Trump claimed that in some states, babies were killed after they were born. To this, the moderator interjected, saying, “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it is born.”

The former US president inaccurately stated that six justices were involved (there were five), and asserted that most legal scholars prefer abortion regulation at the state level.

Harris soon responded saying that Trump “should not be telling a woman what to do with her body”.

She further explained her support for reinstating Roe v Wade and said, “Now, in over 20 states, there are Trump abortion bans, which make it criminal for a doctor or nurse to provide health care. In one state, it provides prison for life. Trump abortion bans that make no exception, even for rape and incest, which, understand what that means, a survivor of a crime of violation to their body does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body."

“Next, that is immoral, and one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government and Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body."

Kamala Harris Accuses Trump of Lying About Abortion Policies

Kamala Harris took aim at Donald Trump , accusing him of misleading the public about his actions to dismantle federal abortion protections. She criticized Trump's stance on reproductive rights, arguing that his policies have harmed women nationwide.

Harris warned, “You’ll hear a lot of lies,” and alleged that Trump strategically appointed three Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe v. Wade, accusing these justices of executing his agenda as planned.

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion established by the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had legalized abortion nationwide.

The High-Stakes Trump vs Harris Debate 

Sparring on politics and personality, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump showcased their starkly different visions for the country as they met for the first time Tuesday for perhaps their only debate before November's presidential election, a high-pressure opportunity for the candidates after a tumultuous campaign summer.

The matchup offered Americans their most detailed look at a campaign that's dramatically changed since the last debate in June. Harris immediately pressed the Democratic case better than President Joe Biden did, hitting the former president's proposed tax cuts and tariffs and linking him to the conservative Project 2025 blueprint for a Republican administration and GOP efforts to restrict abortion access. Trump in turn tried to link Harris to Biden, questioning why she hadn't acted on her proposed ideas while serving as vice president.

Harris used a question about her plans to improve the economy by saying she would extend the tax cut for families with children and a tax deduction for small businesses while attacking Trump's plans to impose broad tariffs as a “sales tax” on goods that the American people will ultimately pay.

Trump was stone-faced during her answer but retorted: “I have no sales tax. That's in incorrect statement. She knows that.” Trump continued to call Harris a “Marxist,” and said “Everyone knows she's a Marxist.” Harris' eyebrows shot up and she made an amused face, cupping her hand on her chin and stared at him.

Harris hit Trump on one of his biggest sources of pride, his freewheeling campaign rallies. Harris noted how at the events, Trump, as he meanders through subjects, will sometimes muse on “fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter” and whether “windmills cause cancer,” and then said that if you watch his events “you will also notice that people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.” “The one thing you will not hear him talk about is you. Your needs, your dreams and your desires.” Trump tried to use his next question to respond by accusing Harris of having no one attending her rallies except the people that he claimed, without evidence, that she has bused in and paid to be there.

“She can't talk about that. People don't leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics,” he said.

In rapid fashion after the June 27 debate between Trump and Biden, the incumbent bowed out of the race after his disastrous performance, Trump survived an assassination attempt and bothsides chose their running mates.

The debate is subjecting Harris, who has sat for only a single formal interview in the past six weeks, to a rare moment of sustained questioning.

The first early ballots of the presidential race will go out just hours after the debate, hosted by ABC News. Absentee ballots are set to be sent out beginning Wednesday in Alabama