- Title: 'Trump gives me anxiety' - Alabama voters head to the polls
- Date: 5th March 2024
- Summary: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 5, 2024) (REUTERS) (MUTE) VARIOUS OF DRONE FOOTAGE OF ALABAMA SUPREME COURT MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 5, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF ALABAMA SUPREME COURT VARIOUS OF POLLING STATION AT CHURCH (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALABAMA RESIDENT, SOCIAL WORKER AND BIDEN SUPPORTER, 42 YEARS OLD, JESSICA RUSH, SAYING: "The
- Embargoed: 19th March 2024 16:55
- Keywords: Alabama Biden IVF Trump election
- Location: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES
- City: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: North America,Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001564105032024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:On Super Tuesday (March 5) in Alabama, Montgomery voters chose Democratic President Joe Biden as their next president, on the biggest voting day of the primary season.
The state was thrust to the center of the U.S. reproductive rights debate after its high court ruled on Feb. 16 that frozen embryos created by in vitro fertilization treatments should be considered children, leaving Republicans scrambling to contain the public backlash.
"Those are those ladies' eggs, let them do what they want to do with them," said Callie Johnson.
"It's been a very scary time recently," said Drew Waldrop. "I have tons of friends who have gone through IVF treatment. I have known people who are in the midst of going through IVF treatment who have been effectively shut down right now, and my heart breaks for them, honestly. And that is a big reason that I went out and voted in the Democratic primary today."
"Right now with Trump, it's a situation of uncertainty, and I'm not prepared for uncertainty, especially with him dealing with the court cases and basically, unfortunately, the racist remarks he has made and the bigotry against women and a lot of people of color. I'm uncertain with him," said Alabama voter Jessica Rush. "He gives me anxiety."
Fred Gray voted for Biden because "I think he has done a great job regardless of what people think of his age. He has great experience, and he's done a great job. And most folks talk about the economy, but the economy is so much better than what it was."
Biden, already the oldest U.S. president ever, will have to convince voters he has the stamina for another four years in office, amid poor approval ratings and a special counsel report suggesting he suffered memory lapses.
Biden has blasted the report, and his allies say he believes he is the only Democratic candidate who can defeat former U.S. President Donald Trump and protect democracy. The most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll put Biden and Trump both at 36% support.
In announcing his candidacy, Biden declared he needed to defend American liberties and pointed to the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. Vice President Kamala Harris is again his running mate.
The economy will also factor in his reelection campaign. While the U.S. escaped an anticipated recession and is growing faster than economists expected, inflation hit 40-year highs in 2022 and the cost of essentials is weighing on voters.
Biden pushed through massive economic stimulus and infrastructure spending packages to boost U.S. industrial output, but he has received little recognition from voters for the latter.
On the Republican side, Trump has a huge lead over his rival, Nikki Haley, in polls in Alabama, a state he also easily won in the 2020 general election.
A third consecutive nomination for Trump would set up a rematch with Biden in November's election. Biden is expected to win Tuesday's Democratic contests easily.
(Production: Maria Alejandra Cardona, Roselle Chen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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