By Vice President Kamala Harris has publicly criticized former President Donald Trump, attributing the death of a Georgia woman to his actions, which she claims triggered the events leading to her passing.
This statement follows a recent ProPublica article detailing the tragic case of Amber Nicole Thurman, who died in 2022 due to complications related to an abortion.
Harris’ remarks, made on Tuesday, highlight her concerns about the consequences of the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the long-standing Roe v. Wade decision.
“This is exactly what we feared when Roe was struck down,” Harris said.
These are the consequences of Donald Trump’s actions.
Thurman’s death is reported by ProPublica as the first officially recognized preventable fatality linked to the wave of abortion bans imposed in several US states following the Dobbs ruling.
The restrictions have sparked significant controversy and debate over reproductive rights.
Fatal delay caused by restrictive abortion laws
Amber Nicole Thurman, 28, was a mother and medical assistant who chose to terminate a twin pregnancy to maintain her health and continue her career and education.
However, Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, one of the strictest in the country, obstructed her from obtaining a surgical abortion.
The law’s ambiguous medical exceptions made it hazardous for doctors to perform essential procedures, such as the dilation and curettage (D&C) that Thurman required.
ProPublica reports that she was compelled to travel to North Carolina for the procedure but missed her appointment due to traffic.
Consequently, she was prescribed a medication abortion, which resulted in severe but rare complications.
Thurman’s condition worsened over the following days.
Despite arriving at Piedmont Henry Hospital with symptoms of sepsis—a life-threatening infection—her surgery was delayed by 17 hours.
By the time the procedure was finally performed, extensive damage necessitated a hysterectomy.
Tragically, Thurman died during the operation.
A state medical review committee later concluded that her death was “preventable” and could have been avoided with timelier intervention.
Reproductive rights: a key issue in the 2024 election
Harris’s statement has underscored the increasing importance of reproductive rights in the upcoming US elections, as the Dobbs ruling continues to shape the political landscape.
Harris has vowed to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade if elected, while Trump has embraced the decision, touting the role he played in appointing conservative justices to the Supreme Court.
“For 52 years, they’ve been trying to get Roe v. Wade into the states. And through the genius and heart and strength of six Supreme Court justices, we were able to do that,” Trump said during a recent debate with Harris.
Reproductive rights groups have expressed outrage over Thurman’s case. Mini Timmara, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, directly blamed Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp for the fatal delay.
She said,
“Amber would be alive right now if it wasn’t for Donald Trump and Brian Kemp’s abortion ban…they have blood on their hands.”
The issue of abortion access is expected to be a crucial battleground in key states like Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
On Tuesday, Harris’ campaign launched a voter registration drive centered around reproductive rights, with events scheduled in Georgia and North Carolina led by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
A tragic example of the impact of abortion bans
Amber Nicole Thurman’s story is emblematic of the risks that restrictive abortion laws pose to women across the country.
Reproductive rights advocates warn that the “life of the mother” exceptions in these laws are insufficient and often poorly defined, leading to dangerous delays in critical care.
“She died in a hospital, surrounded by medical providers who could have saved her life,” feminist author Jessica Valenti wrote on social media platform X. “This is what abortion bans do.”
ProPublica has indicated that it will soon publish another case of a preventable death tied to the post-Dobbs legal landscape, further intensifying the debate on the future of reproductive rights in the United States.
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