Washington DC, United States

US President Joe Biden's re-election campaign has blamed Republican rival Donald Trump for Arizona's revival of the 160-year-old near-complete abortion ban.

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In a statement on Tuesday (Apr 9), Biden's running mate Vice President Kamala Harris said: "Arizona just rolled back the clock to a time before women could vote–and, by his own admission, there’s one person responsible: Donald Trump."

'Proudly' responsible 

On Tuesday, Arizona's Supreme Court revived a law dating back to 1864 that bans abortion in virtually all instances. This damning ban came just a day after Trump in a video proclaimed that he was "proudly the person responsible" for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that enshrined abortion rights in the US for nearly five decades.

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Also read | Arizona’s top court revives 1864 law which bans nearly all abortions

Also in the video, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, said individual states should be able to choose their own abortion restrictions.

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Democrats have blamed Trump for the ban in Arizona that could shutter abortion clinics in the state.

In a statement, Biden said the "ruling is a result of the extreme agenda of Republican elected officials who are committed to ripping away women's freedom."

His campaign spokesperson Brooke Goren in a statement said, "It's alarming and will send shockwaves throughout this crucial swing state and the country."

Is Trump actually to blame for Arizona's abortion ban?

As per USA Today, the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade— which Trump himself took credit for — was cited in the recent Arizona Supreme Court ruling 22 times. 

Also read | Michigan school shooting: Parents of teenage gunman sentenced to 10-15 years in prison

The 1854 law hands two to five years in prison to anyone aiding an abortion, the only exception being when the life of the mother is at stake.

As per White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 21 states have adopted abortion bans. These bans, she said, affect one-third of all American women of reproductive age.

(With inputs from agencies)