With abortion policy now, for all practical purposes, a state — not federal — issue after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Kamala Harris nonetheless placed abortion at the forefront of her presidential campaign.
At her first campaign rally in 2024, she declared, “I am being precise — we need to put into law the protections of Roe v. Wade. That means returning to where we were before the Dobbs decision.”
And Harris’ selection of Tim Walz as her running mate doubled down on her strategy to put abortion at the top of their agenda. The Harris-Walz ticket was the most pro-abortion in U.S. history, openly advocating for zero regulations on abortion and even denying health care to babies who survive abortions.
Harris and the Democratic Party went so far as to even offer free abortions at their national convention in Chicago — a first in American politics.
Throughout her campaign, Harris traveled the country with high-profile celebrities to amplify her message, doubling down on her extreme abortion agenda. The issue took center stage, with her campaign becoming synonymous with the Democratic Party’s support for unrestricted abortion access.
Harris’ position was never one of moderation. She openly embraced policies to permit late-term abortions, a stance that placed her on the far left of the political spectrum. For millions of Americans, including those of faith, her views on abortion represented a direct challenge to the sanctity of human life.
Harris’ radical stance on abortion sparked an outcry from religious leaders who warned of the grave moral consequences of her policies.
Catholic Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former apostolic nuncio to the United States, was particularly vocal in condemning Harris’ platform. In a powerful open letter to American Catholics, Viganò declared that supporting Harris was “morally inadmissible” and constituted a “grave sin.”
Viganò did not hold back in his assessment of Harris’ policies. He warned that her support for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy would usher in a new era of moral degradation and spiritual decline in America.
Evangelical leaders also raised the alarm. Franklin Graham, the prominent North Carolina evangelist and son of Billy Graham, stated that Harris’ positions are “anti-Christ” and warned that her presidency would spell disaster for people of faith.
According to Graham, “Kamala Harris has done nothing to support the values that people of faith hold dear. Her extreme abortion stance is an affront to those who believe in the sanctity of life.”
Understandably, both Archbishop Viganò and Franklin Graham endorsed Donald Trump.
The Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) similarly criticized Harris, stating that her track record demonstrates a clear hostility toward religious liberty and the rights of the unborn. The ERLC argued that Harris’ policies, if enacted, would erode religious freedoms and undermine fundamental moral principles.
In the campaign’s closing days, Harris and her surrogates, including Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama, resorted to personal attacks, labeling Donald Trump a “fascist” and comparing him to Hitler. Such rhetoric was a clear sign of desperation as the Harris campaign struggled to defend its extremist abortion and woke policies in the face of mounting opposition.
Ironically, the inflammatory attacks ignored a critical point: it was fascist regimes, like Hitler’s, that embraced policies of dehumanization, including the systematic killing of the most vulnerable.
As exit polls now confirm, prioritizing a radical pro-abortion agenda was a high-stakes gamble that backfired badly on Harris.
In the final analysis, voters cared more about the economic, immigration and anti-woke policies championed by Trump. As for abortion, Trump and his allies had the better position, arguing the issue should be left to states.
Somehow, I don’t think the Democrats will be advertising free abortions at their 2028 convention.
But don’t put it past them; some folks never learn.
Sam Currin is a former chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, and a retired judge, law professor and United States attorney.
