A recent poll found that nearly 1 in 5 voters in battleground states believe that President Biden is responsible for ending the constitutional right to abortion, despite the fact that he supports abortion rights and it was actually Donald Trump who appointed three Supreme Court justices that made overturning Roe v. Wade possible. This misconception was most prevalent among Trump supporters and voters with lower levels of education, but it spanned across various demographic groups. Some Democrats also hold Biden accountable, with 12% in battleground states attributing the responsibility to him.
Abortion has been a pivotal issue for Democrats in recent elections, and the confusion among voters presents a challenge and an opportunity for Biden, who is trailing behind Trump by six points in the survey. Democratic pollster Celinda Lake believes that this group of voters presents an opportunity for Democrats to gain support, and that many voters do not understand Trump’s stance on the issue. Biden’s campaign has been running ads linking Trump to abortion bans, with Vice President Kamala Harris also emphasizing the issue in public appearances and interviews.
Many voters who attribute the responsibility for abortion bans to Biden stated that they did not pay close attention to politics, government affairs, or did not fully understand the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. Even though they support abortion rights, they believed Biden was responsible due to misunderstandings or lack of awareness. Some voters also criticized Biden for not doing enough to stop state abortion bans, although he has taken steps to support abortion rights at the federal level.
Overall, voters in battleground states trust Biden more than Trump to handle the issue of abortion, unchanged since last November. However, some Democrats still trust Trump more to handle the issue, and a portion of Republicans do not hold Trump responsible for the decision. Trump has claimed responsibility for the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, but his stance on a national abortion ban and states prosecuting women for violating abortion restrictions has been inconsistent. Despite this, some voters feel his recent statements align with their views on abortion.
One voter, Christine Valenti, a Republican from Wisconsin, believes abortion should be mostly legal and that women in states with bans should be able to travel to another state to get one. She feels reassured by Trump’s recent statements on leaving abortion up to the states, indicating that her views align with his. Valenti also criticized Biden for not doing enough to support abortion rights, and stated that the economy is her more pressing concern. When asked about the most important issue in the election, the largest share of respondents cited the economy, followed by abortion and immigration.
The New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll of Pennsylvania was independently designed and conducted, funded by a grant from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Despite the confusion among voters regarding Biden’s responsibility for abortion bans, the issue remains a significant one for many in battleground states, with implications for the upcoming election.
