Vice President Kamala Harris has linked the death of a young Georgia mother to former President Donald Trump’s actions, specifically his appointment of Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn nationwide abortion rights. The case has reignited debates over abortion access and healthcare policies across the United States.

Amber Nicole Thurman, 28, died in August 2022 after experiencing complications from taking an abortion pill. According to reports, Thurman waited 20 hours for treatment at a suburban Atlanta hospital before dying from a severe infection. Her death occurred just two weeks after Georgia enacted strict abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Harris stated, “This young mother should be alive, raising her son, and pursuing her dream of attending nursing school. This is exactly what we feared when Roe was struck down. These are the consequences of Donald Trump’s actions.” 

The Vice President highlighted the serious consequences of restricted abortion access, stating that women are experiencing critical situations, including “bleeding out in parking lots” after being denied care in emergency rooms, with some losing the ability to have children. She also noted that survivors of rape and incest are being prevented from making decisions about their bodies and that these policies are now leading to women losing their lives.

The Trump campaign addressed the allegations, placing the blame on the hospital for not delivering life-saving care. Campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that President Trump has consistently supported exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, which are included in Georgia’s law. Given these exceptions, she questioned why the doctors did not take immediate action to protect Amber Thurman’s life.

Thurman’s case is currently under review by Georgia’s maternal mortality commission. An official state committee has concluded that her death was preventable, according to investigative news outlet ProPublica. The federal government has not cited the suburban Atlanta hospital that reportedly delayed her treatment for failing to provide stabilizing treatment to a pregnant patient within the last two years, based on a review of federal documents. 

The federal government has determined that dozens of pregnant women have been illegally turned away from emergency rooms, with the number of cases spiking in states with strict abortion bans like Texas and Missouri. A media report found that women have been left to miscarry in public bathrooms, wait for treatment in their cars, or be told by doctors to seek care elsewhere. Some women have developed infections or lost part of their reproductive system after hospitals in abortion-ban states delayed emergency abortions. 

The Supreme Court decision and subsequent state abortion laws have resulted in multiple complaints against hospitals and doctors, alleging they are refusing to treat women for pregnancy complications. Women in Texas have asked U.S. health authorities to investigate local hospitals for denying them abortions for dangerous ectopic pregnancies. Similarly, women in Idaho, Tennessee, and Oklahoma have filed lawsuits alleging they were denied abortions despite suffering life-threatening pregnancy complications. 

Democrats and abortion rights advocates have seized on Thurman’s case, arguing that it demonstrates how women’s health is suffering under strict abortion bans. Anti-abortion advocates, however, have rebuffed these claims, describing them as misinformation. 

The debate over abortion access continues to be a central issue in American politics. Since the 2022 Supreme Court decision, Georgia and about a dozen other U.S. states have passed laws banning or severely limiting abortion rights. Trump has stated that he believes individual states should decide abortion rights and include exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. 

As the November 5, 2024 presidential election approaches, the issue of abortion rights is likely to remain at the forefront of political discourse. Vice President Harris, as the Democratic nominee, has made it clear that she views the protection of abortion rights as a crucial campaign issue. The ongoing debate surrounding cases like Thurman’s underscores the complex and contentious nature of abortion policy in the United States.