In her first campaign appearance as the likely Democratic presidential candidate, US Vice President Kamala Harris warned of a “land of chaos, fear and hatred” if her Republican rival Donald Trump wins the election. The right-wing populist is pursuing a backward-looking policy, Harris said on Tuesday to the cheers of her supporters. A new poll put Harris just ahead of Trump. The Republican, meanwhile, said he was ready for a televised debate with Harris.
“Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and the rule of law, or in a country of chaos, fear and hate?” said the 59-year-old at the event in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is considered one of the key states in the November election. The Republican Party convention took place in Milwaukee last week, where Trump was officially chosen as the presidential candidate.
She knows men like Trump, Harris continued, repeating comments she made on Monday when she pointed out that she had “dealt with all kinds of perpetrators” during her time as a prosecutor.
Harris told the crowd that she would “proudly put my record against his.” One focus of her speech was the right to abortion. Harris accused Trump of wanting to ban abortion. “We trust women to make decisions about their own bodies and not let the government tell them what to do,” she said.
Harris’ speech was in stark contrast to the speeches of the outgoing US president: Where Joe Biden’s speeches often seemed lacking in energy and clumsy, his vice president delivered a powerful and enthusiastic performance – which the audience in Wisconsin greeted with cheers. The crowd repeatedly chanted the 59-year-old’s first name.
After Biden’s withdrawal from the race for the White House, Harris is considered the favorite for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. The 81-year-old announced on Sunday that he would not run again in view of doubts about his mental and physical fitness and pledged his support to Harris. He came under criticism after a weak performance in the TV debate against Trump.
On Tuesday, the two leading Democrats in Congress – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – spoke out in favor of Harris’ candidacy at a joint press conference. Schumer and Jeffries were among the last political heavyweights of the Democrats who had not yet publicly supported the 59-year-old.
Harris says she now has the support of enough delegates to officially be chosen as the Democratic candidate. The nomination is to be made in an online vote by delegates by August 7 – almost two weeks before the Democratic Party convention in Chicago.
Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday showed Harris with a narrow lead over her Republican rival. It found that Harris was slightly ahead of Trump, who was reportedly at 42 percent, with 44 percent. The poll was conducted in the first two days after Biden announced that he would give up his presidential candidacy and support Harris instead. It is one of the first surveys since the president’s withdrawal.
In another PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, also released on Tuesday, Trump finished slightly ahead of Harris at 46 percent, while Harris scored 45 percent. In both cases, however, the lead was within the margin of error.
Meanwhile, Trump said during a telephone interview with journalists that he was ready for a televised debate with Harris – or even for “more than one debate”. Trump, who was officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate just over a week ago, says he thinks he has a better chance against Harris than against Biden. “She’s much more radical than he is (…). So I think she should be easier (to beat) than Biden, because he was a little more mainstream, but not much,” said the 78-year-old.
