On the same day that former President Donald Trump clarified his stance on abortion to say that states should determine their own regulations, the campaign for President Joe Biden released an ad that targets his rival.
The ad, “Willow’s Box,” features Amanda Zurawski, who sued Texas, claiming she nearly died from a miscarriage.
The ad says that in 2022 Zurawski and her husband, Josh, were expecting their first baby, which they intended to name Willow. The couple looks through a box containing items they bought for the unborn child, including a baby book.
At 18 weeks, the ad says, Zurawski’s water broke and she had a miscarriage.
A title card says that “Because Donald Trump killed Roe v Wade, Amanda was denied standard medical care to prevent infection, an abortion.”
Because of Texas’ near-total ban on abortion, the ad says, doctors were forced to send Zurawski home and three days later she was admitted to an ICU with sepsis, nearly dying twice.
The ad further says that Zurawski’s infection caused so much damage she may never get pregnant again.
The ad ends with a title card that reads “Donald Trump did this.”
In a video released Monday, Trump took credit for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end Roe v. Wade, saying that he was “proudly the person responsible for the ending” of the constitutional right to an abortion.
Shortly after Roe fell, a trigger law went into effect in Texas that bans abortion in most circumstances.
Under the law in Texas, doctors who perform abortions risk life in prison and fines of up to $100,000. Opponents say that has left some women with providers who are unwilling to even discuss ending a pregnancy.
There are medical exceptions to Texas’ abortion ban, but late last month the Texas Medical Board declined to provide a list of specific circumstances. Some physicians say the law is dangerously unclear.
Trump said in his video Monday that abortion limits should be left to the states, declining to endorse a national ban.
“Many people have asked me what my position is on abortion and abortion rights,” Trump said in the video posted on his Truth Social site. “My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land — in this case, the law of the state.”
Anti-abortion activists expressed keen disappointment that Trump didn’t go further.
Trump mentioned his support for three exceptions — in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk
Biden recently renewed his call for Congress to codify abortion protections, but this looks to be unlikely for the time being.
Sixteen states, including Texas, do not allow abortions when a fatal fetal anomaly is detected, while six do not allow exceptions for the mother’s health, according to an analysis by KFF, a health research organization.