Melinda French Gates endorses Kamala Harris, emphasizing her defense of abortion rights

• Melinda French Gates endorsed Harris in a post on X, celebrating the VP's support for abortion.
• In May, French Gates committed $1 billion to groups supporting women and abortion.
• Harris is a leading voice for reproductive freedom in the Biden administration.

Melinda French Gates took to X, formerly known as Twitter, this morning to announce her support for Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, largely because of the vice president's support for abortion rights.

French Gates opened her statement by emphasizing that the country needs a leader who advocates for reproductive freedom and supports families.

"I am supporting Vice President Kamala Harris because she is that leader," French Gates wrote. She went on to highlight Harris' advocacy for abortion during her time in the White House.

As Vice President, Harris has been a leading voice on reproductive freedom, often more so than the president himself. She made what's believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a sitting president or vice president.

French Gates, a philanthropist who is worth around $11 billion according to Forbes, is a known advocate for women's health care. In May, she committed to spending $1 billion through 2026 to groups working for women, families, and reproductive rights.

Harris has already seen a huge fundraising surge, raising $81 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign. Support spans grassroots contributors and billionaires like French Gates, with abortion being a key issue for many Democratic voters and donors.