'Smart play': Internet backs Joe Biden as he invites woman denied abortion in Texas for SOTU address
WASHINGTON, DC: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have extended a notable invitation to Kate Cox, a Texas woman who recently faced legal challenges over her attempt to get an abortion.
The Biden administration invited Cox to attend the annual State of the Union address on March 7 at the US Capitol, where she will be seated with the First Lady.
The invitation comes after Cox's legal battle with the Texas Supreme Court, which ultimately denied her request to terminate a pregnancy. Despite the court's decision, Cox had already traveled out of state for the abortion.
The Bidens spoke with Cox on January 21, expressing gratitude for her courage in sharing her story and shedding light on the impact of Texas's strict abortion ban.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, "On Sunday, the president and the first lady spoke to Kate Cox, who was forced to go to court to seek permission for the care she needed for a nonviable pregnancy that threatened her life. They thanked her for her courage in sharing her story and speaking out about the impact of the extreme abortion ban in Texas."
Kate Cox's case
Cox's case has gained attention on a national level, as the Biden campaign featured her in a recent video linking former President Donald Trump to the end of Roe v. Wade. Campaign officials argue that Cox's situation exemplifies their main argument against Trump: that women's rights would be jeopardized under his leadership.
At 31, Cox faced a challenging pregnancy with her third child diagnosed with trisomy 18, a rare genetic disorder. Doctors warned that carrying the pregnancy to term could jeopardize her fertility. However, under Texas's near-total abortion ban, medical professionals hesitated due to fear of prosecution or losing their licenses.
Cox took legal action, making her the first individual to attempt to challenge a state's abortion ban. Though a district court granted her permission, the state Supreme Court intervened, stating she hadn't demonstrated enough danger to her life to warrant the procedure. Unable to wait, Cox left the state for the abortion before the court ultimately ruled against her.
The White House's invitation highlights the administration's stance on reproductive rights, a pivotal issue in the upcoming presidential election following the Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn abortion protections.
President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and their spouses focused on abortion rights in their first major campaign rally of the election year. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, lauded the invitation, noting that Cox “will be representing thousands of others suffering under draconian state abortion bans."
In his speech, President Biden highlighted the escalating medical challenges women face post the Roe v. Wade decision, attributing blame to former President Trump, who appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court during his tenure, per the Associated Press.
Social media reactions
Democrats on social media lauded the strategic move to invite Cox and anticipated it would help garner the female vote in key battlegrounds.
"Democrats are getting messaging right and Republicans are in disarray. I never thought I would see this lol," one posted on Reddit.
"Smart play. Going to need to run up the female vote in the suburbs and cities to win in the battlegrounds and that is a key issue to turn out votes," another added.
'"Stuff like this is going to make this election into a landslide," someone else offered.
"I think her story really highlights the empty promises that the Republican Party makes when it comes to carving out exemptions to their strict abortion bans. Don't believe their lies, and be vigilant when they try to bring this to a national level," another chimed in.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
