DNC launches Florida billboard campaign targeting Trump on abortion

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is putting up billboards around Florida hitting former President Trump on abortion after the state’s top court paved the way for a ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy to take effect.

The effort, which was shared first with The Hill, will include billboards in the Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach areas. The billboards will run in both English and Spanish, and read, “Abortion is banned in Florida thanks to Donald Trump. He won’t stop until it’s banned nationwide.”

“Donald Trump is the reason that millions of women across Florida and millions more across the U.S. can no longer make decisions about their own bodies, and he’s ‘proud’ of it,” DNC spokesperson Jackie Bush said in a statement to The Hill. “As Trump campaigns on a plan to ban abortion nationwide, women in states like Florida are ready to fight back and make their voices heard at the ballot box this November to put a stop to Trump’s assault on their rights and freedoms.” 

The billboard campaign comes days after a Florida court upheld the state’s 15-week ban on abortion. The decision also means a separate six-week ban will be triggered and will take effect May 1 — banning abortion at a point of gestation before many women know they are pregnant. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the six-week ban into law last year, just before he announced his presidential run. 

The court also ruled to allow a ballot measure to go before voters in November that would protect abortion access in the state.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has not weighed in on the court ruling. Asked about his thoughts on the six-week ban earlier this week, Trump said he would be making a statement on abortion next week, though he provided no further specifics.

The former president has repeatedly dodged questions when asked whether he would sign a national abortion ban if reelected, instead claiming he would find a solution to unite the country on an extremely divisive issue. He has said he supports exceptions for cases of rape, incest and life of the mother.

At the same time, Trump has frequently said he is responsible for terminating Roe v. Wade through his appointment of three conservative Supreme Court justices.

Abortion has been a major motivator for Democratic voters in the nearly two years since the Supreme Court decision overturned the federal right to abortion access, and President Biden and his campaign have used it as a rallying force heading into November’s general election.

The Biden campaign released an ad Tuesday following the Florida decision, focusing specifically on Trump’s comments taking credit for ending Roe v. Wade.