The Florida Supreme Court on Monday upheld the state's six-week abortion ban but also decided to allow voters to have a say on the issue in the November election. Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist and niece of former president Donald Trump, on Tuesday, weighed in on the verdict and its impact on the general election.
Setback For Republicans: Although the first decision was a win for "anti-choice" advocates in the short term, it will "backfire on Donald and the Republicans," said Mary Trump in a substack post. She noted that the Biden campaign was working on strategies to flip Florida, and with the potential for the abortion issue to rally voters.
This happened in the red states of Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio, and a "seismic" shift will likely occur in Florida as well, the psychologist and podcaster said. "Imagine a Democratic victory in the state that Donald now lives in," she said, adding that he fled New York earlier so that he doesn't face the ignominy of losing in his home state.
Mary Trump sees the state's apex court's decision to put abortion on the ballot leading to a "monumental shift in the upcoming election that may well resonate for decades."
Nightmare For Trump: Although Florida may not be a swing state strictly, the abortion issue could turn it into one, Republican pollster Neil Newhouse said, according to WTSP. Mary Trump said the "prospect of abortion appearing on the ballot in any swing state should give Donald nightmares."
Citing a new KFF Health Tracking Poll, she said voters who say abortion is the "most important issue" to their 2024 vote were disproportionately Black, Democratic, women, and between the ages of 18 and 29.
This should bode well for President Joe Biden, as the same demographics have been less than enthusiastic about him, she said. "Republicans just handed Democrats the best roadmap to secure these voters and change the tide," she said.
To regain support in the state, Donald Trump and the cash-strapped Republican National Committee should spend money they otherwise wouldn't have had to in one of the most expensive advertising markets in the country, she added.
Mary Trump also sees personal implications for her uncle. "Because of Donald's incredibly fragile ego, he cannot imagine losing in his home state of Florida. That blind spot will make it harder for him to accept the fact that he is going to have to campaign in a state he thinks is a safe bet," she said.
The former president's niece also noted that Biden's campaign was now targeting to flip Florida, which her uncle won by a mere 3% margin in 2020 and by half as much as in 2016.
"With abortion on the ballot, Democrats have a clear shot," she added.