Doug Emhoff Champions Abortion Rights in Passionate Tucson Address

Doug Emhoff, the spouse of Vice President Kamala Harris, visited Tucson on Thursday evening, just hours after Donald Trump held a rally nearby. Emhoff’s campaign stop emphasized the fight for reproductive rights in Arizona, where restrictions limit abortions to 15 weeks.

Emhoff arrived at Tucson International Airport around 5:30 p.m., welcomed by local leaders including Mayor Regina Romero and Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva. Later, he addressed a gathering of approximately 450 supporters at the Stonebridge Events Center, a mere mile from where Trump had spoken earlier that day.

As Emhoff took the stage around 7 p.m., a small group of protesters gathered outside the venue, leading to three arrests that were soon released. Some protesters voiced opposition to the Harris-Walz campaign’s stance on Israel, holding signs with messages like “Funding genocide is wrong regardless of political party.”

The event inside centered on reproductive justice, featuring speakers such as Grijalva, Romero, and various reproductive rights advocates. Together, they highlighted the crucial need for accessible abortion services. When Emhoff finally took the podium, he recounted his emotional immediate reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, recalling a distraught phone call from Harris.

“I’ve literally never heard her more upset,” he said, recalling how his daughter urged him to take action. Emhoff encouraged attendees to support Arizona Prop. 139, which seeks to protect abortion rights in the state Constitution if it passes in November.

He stressed the importance of trusting women over governmental intervention. “As Kamala says, we need to be a nation that trusts women to make decisions, not the government,” Emhoff declared.

Emhoff also praised Harris’ recent debate performance, labeling Trump as “weak” and “unfit for office.” He commented on Trump’s avoidance of a second debate with Harris, suggesting that the former president is intimidated by strong women in politics. “Donald Trump doesn’t know how to deal with a powerful woman on the debate stage,” he asserted, which drew a wave of enthusiastic applause.

Emhoff notably gathered cheers when he mentioned high-profile supporters of Harris, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and pop star Taylor Swift. The loudest applause came when he referenced Tucson native Linda Ronstadt, who denounced Trump’s rally as a “hate show” in an Instagram post and criticized his policies on immigration. Emhoff concluded, “I guess he found out today not to mess with Linda Ronstadt.”