President Biden leans in backing Florida abortion initiative, while Trump avoids taking a stance

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — President Joe Biden spoke in Tampa Tuesday and highlighted a proposed constitutional amendment set to appear on the Florida ballot this November that would restore abortion access to levels seen before the overturning of Roe V Wade.

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Action News Jax spoke with political experts who say the move signals that the Biden campaign sees the upcoming abortion amendment as a winning issue.

“This isn’t about state’s rights, it’s about women’s rights,” said Biden during his first speech at Hillsborough Community College.

The President’s comments come just one week before the state’s six-week abortion ban is set to take effect.

UCF political science professor Dr. Aubrey Jewett noted Democrats have seen great success in recent elections by taking pro-choice stances, and the Florida abortion amendment has a real shot at turning out Democratic voters.

“And even if Biden doesn’t win Florida, at least it’ll be competitive. Maybe they pass some of these initiatives. Maybe they can also be competitive for congressional seats,” said Jewett.

In contrast, former President Donald Trump has avoided taking a hardline stance on the abortion issue, deferring to states to decide for themselves.

“At the end of the day this is all about the will of the people,” said Trump in a video posted to Truth Social on April 8th.

Governor Ron DeSantis was asked last week whether Trump, a Florida resident, should weigh in on the Florida amendment.

“You should ask him about that,” said DeSantis.

So, we did, but got no response from his campaign.

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“It’s an awkward issue for him,” said UNF political science professor Sean Freeder.

Freeder argued Trump will likely have to weigh in on the Florida measure at some point in the race.

“It’s not just any state. It’s the state in which he resides. It’s going to be more personal for that reason. So, he’ll have to say something, but he’ll probably spend a few months here, I think, workshopping it,” said Freeder.

Both professors noted in some deep red states that approved similar abortion initiatives in recent years, support for those initiatives didn’t necessarily translate to Democratic victories down the ballot.

With registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats by nearly 900,000 in the Sunshine State, there’s an especially high barrier to success.

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