House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) stressed the significance of the 2024 election in an interview on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, cautioning that much more than abortion rights are in danger if former President Trump is re-elected.
He informed CBS’ Norah O’Donnell that reproductive freedom will be a very important issue in the race.
“And the extreme MAGA Republicans have started the decline of reproductive freedom,” he said. “We’re going to fight for it with all the resources we have.”
“If Roe v. Wade can fall, anything can fall,” he added. “Social Security can fall. Medicare can fall. Voting rights can fall. And God help us all, but democracy itself can fall. If Roe v. Wade can fall, then anything can fall.”
Jeffries’ comments come as Democrats shift their focus to battleground states as they emphasize abortion rights arguments, while Arizona, Florida, Montana and others get ready for abortion rights ballot issues.
GOP state lawmakers in Arizona overturned repealed a Civil War-era abortion restriction last week after multiple attempts and mass criticism from Democrats, while another strict abortion law became effective in Florida on Wednesday.
But Jeffries also mentioned that Democrats need to campaign with a positive message, along with warning about what Republicans could take away. He referred to the gun safety regulation and investments in manufacturing as the “real results.”
However, most Americans still see the Biden economy as weaker than the economy under President Trump, as indicated by polls, as the Biden campaign struggles to change the narrative.
“We have to do a better job of presenting the facts that the economy has significantly improved under the leadership of President Joe Biden,” Jeffries said.
He referred to the messaging issue as a “work in progress.”
“Voters understand that more needs to be done, that there are challenges that remain,” he said. “We understand we have to lower costs. We have to end price gouging. We have to grow the middle class. We have to keep our communities safe. We have to solve the problems and challenges at the border.”
“We’re on the right side of those issues,” he continued. “And we just have to make sure we make that case in a compelling, a clear, and a comprehensive way to the American people.”
