The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion Biden’s abortion push reeks of desperation

The presidential election season has exaggerated our differences over the issue.

By
Columnist|
May 5, 2024 at 7:15 a.m. EDT
President Biden delivers his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress on March 7. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)
5 min

It must be challenging for a Catholic president to make abortion the centerpiece of his reelection campaign. I wonder whether Joe Biden has nightmares as he recruits abortion-denied women to serve as surrogates to make his case.

Once a proud pro-life Democrat, Biden has become a modern-day gladiator for abortion, even if he can’t bring himself to say the word. During his State of the Union address in March, the president all but danced an Irish jig around the term, speaking instead of protecting reproductive freedom. His discomfort was telling.