Here’s Why Melinda French Gates Just Endorsed Joe Biden: "I Can’t Stay Quiet..."

Melinda French Gates, famous philanthropist and former wife of Microsoft co-founder, Bill Gates, has officially extended her support to President Joe Biden’s reelection bid, marking her first-ever endorsement of a presidential candidate. The unprecedented move comes as Gates underscores the profound implications of the upcoming election for women and families across America.

On social media, she posted, “I have never endorsed a presidential candidate before. But this year’s election stands to be so enormously consequential for women and families that, this time, I can’t stay quiet. Women deserve a leader who cares about the issues they face and is committed to protecting their safety, their health, their economic power, their reproductive rights, and their ability to freely and fully participate in a functioning democracy. In this election, the contrast couldn’t be greater, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. I will be voting for President Biden.”

As reported by CNBC, in a well-elaborated opinion piece for CNN, Gates elaborated on her decision, pointing to the stark contrast between the two candidates on issues critical to women’s rights and safety. She wrote, “My work on gender equality and global health often requires me to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle, so I have avoided talking publicly about who I voted for in past elections. But this year is different.

After Donald Trump’s first term in office endangered the health of women, compromising their safety and robbing them of essential freedoms, I am supporting Biden this election and asking others to do the same…While Trump has boasted about rolling back the rights of women, Biden understands that the future of our country depends on them. That is why Biden has earned my vote. I urge anyone who cares about women and families to join me.”

In an earlier interview with CBS Mornings, Gates explained to co-host, Gayle King, that she can not support a candidate “who rolls back women’s reproductive rights and says the heinous things that he says about women. So, I absolutely am not voting for Trump, and I will vote for Biden.” Gates also addressed the controversial overturning of Roe v. Wade, a decision facilitated by former President Trump’s Supreme Court appointments, as per The Hill. "Women turned out in the mid-term elections and said, 'This is enough.' And we've gotta do it again," she told CBS.

She remarked, “[Trump] deliberately appointed Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade, which resulted in a decision with far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for women and families.” In light of her recent remarks, a Trump campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung slammed, “Nobody cares what Ms. Bill Gates has to say…These people have an over-inflated sense of their supposed power and think their money to liberal causes can buy elections.”