Vice President Kamala Harris was scheduled to attend a special afternoon meeting of principals of the National Security Council Saturday via secure video from the Los Angeles area, after making a surprise appearance at the Power Leadership and Influence of Black Women luncheon at the Fairmont Century City.
White House officials said Harris would be in on the meeting taking place in the White House Situation Room to discuss the situation in the Middle East after Iran launched a drone strike against Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli strike on the Iranian consular building in Syria that killed two of Tehran’s top commanders.
Others expected to attend the meeting included President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Saturday’s luncheon program in Los Angeles centered on an “intimate conversation” with California’s junior Democratic senator, Laphonza Butler, who received an award at the event. During her remarks, Butler introduced “one of our biggest champions” in the abortion-rights movement, imploring the audience to “stand to your feet and appreciate and receive one of my best friends” as the vice president appeared from the wings.
Harris spoke briefly about the fight against Republican-led state efforts to restrict abortion following the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade precedent protecting abortion rights.
“Here’s the thing about what they’re doing and the cruelty of it: No exception in some states even for rape and incest — you are saying to a survivor of a crime of violence to their body, a violation to their body, that they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That’s immoral,” Harris said.
“When we take a look at that situation, there is no ambiguity about who is to blame. The former President Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo Roe, and they did exactly as he intended,” she continued.
“And now he walks around talking about, `Well, you know, the states can do what they want to do.’ Well look at what the states are doing. The states are passing Trump abortion bans. So we’re not going to fall for the okey-doke. We are not going to be gaslit about what is at play and who is to blame.”
Harris, who maintains a residence in Brentwood, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at 5:28 p.m. Friday aboard Air Force 2 from Tucson with her husband, attorney Doug Emhoff, then traveled by motorcade to “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane’s house near Beverly Hills for a campaign fundraiser.
“We’re basically talking about Trump abortion bans, state Trump abortion bans,” Harris said at the Spanish revival-style mansion near Benedict Canyon Drive.
“So let’s be clear about that. Laws that are reviving an approach from the 1800s. Laws that make no exception for rape or incest. Laws that ban abortion beyond six weeks. Those are Trump abortion bans.”
Harris made similar comments earlier Friday in Tucson, Arizona.
Earlier Friday, Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social, “The Supreme Court in Arizona went too far on their Abortion Ruling, enacting and approving an inappropriate Law from 1864. So now the Governor and the Arizona Legislature must use HEART, COMMON SENSE, and ACT IMMEDIATELY, to remedy what has happened.
“Remember, it is now up to the States and the Good Will of those that represent THE PEOPLE. We must ideally have the three Exceptions for Rape, Incest, and Life of the Mother. This is important!
“Democrats are the EXTREMISTS – They support Abortion up to the moment of birth, and even execution of Babies, in some cases, after birth. This should not be. Arizona Legislature, please act as fast as possible!”
The Arizona Supreme Court issued a decision Tuesday that officials may enforce an 1864 law criminalizing all abortions except when a woman’s life is at stake.