Billionaire and prominent philanthropist Melinda French Gates just endorsed what she says is the first presidential candidate in history—Joe Biden. IN article For CNN, French Gates called this election unlike any other, in which “the stakes for women and families could not be higher.”
She continued: “After Trump’s first term in office compromised women’s health, compromised their safety, and stripped them of fundamental freedoms, I support Biden in this election and ask others to do the same.”
French Gates has long been involved in bipartisan politics, primarily through his venture capital firm, Pivotal Ventures. One of the firm’s priorities was to increase women’s representation in politics at all levels. with a focus on achieving near parity in Congress during her lifetime. However, until now she has refrained from publicly endorsing a specific candidate, she said.
French Gates condemned what she called former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s “often divisive and sometimes violent rhetoric.” They range from “sexist attacks he made against female journalists to calls for his opponent to be jailed.” She pointed to restrictions on foreign aid to those providing reproductive services, as well as the federal family planning program introduced by Trump.
And, of course, it affected his Supreme Court justices, which ultimately led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a constitutional right to abortion that had existed for five decades before it was overturned.
“In the two years since Roe was overturned, emergency rooms have turned away pregnant women in desperate need of care because doctors feared legal repercussions,” French Gates wrote. “Obstetricians have left states with strict bans that can leave women without access to essential services such as contraception.”
She added, “The United States already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among advanced economies, and most gynecologists agree that the decision to overturn Roe led to an increase in maternal mortality.”
If Trump is elected, he will allow states to monitor and prosecute pregnant women, something he has made clear, says French Gates. But in her opinion, Biden did the opposite; he fought for reproductive freedom, restored funding and supported access to drugs such as mifepristone. She also stated that “Biden is, simply put, the strongest advocate for caregivers the Oval Office has ever seen.”
“While Trump has bragged about rolling back women’s rights, Biden understands that the future of our country depends on them,” she wrote. “That’s why Biden earned my vote. I encourage everyone who cares about women and families to join me.”
In May, French Gates announced she was leaving the nonprofit she and ex-husband Bill Gates founded; she will walk away with $12.5 billion for her own charity. She then announced a billion dollars over a two-year period to organizations supporting women and families around the world. During her announcement, she said, “This is a critical moment for women and girls in the US and around the world—and those fighting to protect and advance gender equality urgently need support.”
Now it seems we know what, or maybe who, she meant.