6 in 10 Americans support abortion rights. This could be the advantage Kamala Harris needs against Donald Trump

Kamala Harris speaks on reproductive rights at Howard University in Washington, DC, in April 2023.& Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Pool by Prudence Flowers, Flinders University Vice President Kamala Harris had only just been endorsed by Joe Biden to take his spot as the Democratic nominee for president when she forcefully reminded Americans “what’s at stake in November” in a post on X: Let’s be clear: Donald Trump would sign a national abortion ban and restrict access to contraception if given the chance. Abortion has long been a hot-button election issue in the United States, but in the first presidential election since Roe v Wade was overturned, it could be the defining issue. With Harris now the presumptive Democratic nominee, former President Donald Trump could be more vulnerable on the issue, particularly given his selection of J.D. Vance as his Republican running mate. Alex Brandon/AP What Americans think about abortion In June 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, finding there was no constitutional right to abortion and returning regulation to the states. Since then, public anger has resulted in Democratic successes in multiple state elections. Every time reproductive rights have been on the ballot, abortion opponents have lost, even in...