Potential Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris held her first campaign rally.
CNN, Reuters and BBC write about it.
Harris spoke to a crowd of about 3 000 in Wisconsin. In a 17-minute speech, she vigorously attacked her Republican opponent Donald Trump, and compared her experience as a former prosecutor to his experience as a convicted felon.
"I took on criminals of all kinds: predators who abused women, swindlers who robbed consumers, swindlers who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me out when I say: I know the type of Donald Trump,” Harris says in the speech.
Harris listed a list of liberal priorities, saying if elected she would act to make it easier for workers to join unions and fight gun violence.
She also emphasized her commitment to reproductive rights, an issue that has worried Republicans since the U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three justices appointed by Trump, struck down nationwide abortion rights in 2022.
Harrisʼ raucous rally was a marked contrast to the smaller, more subdued events held by Joe Biden. Reuters believes that this underscores the hope of Democrats that the 59-year-old Harris can revive a campaign that has not been very successful during the reign of the 81-year-old Biden.
According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, Harris gained a slight advantage (by 2%) over Trump. According to the study, Harris is supported by 44% of respondents, Trump by 42%, the difference is within a 3 percent statistical margin of error.
The poll was conducted on July 22-23, after the Republican Party convention, where Trump was officially nominated as the candidate for the November presidential election, and after President Joe Biden announced that he would withdraw from the race and endorse Harrisʼ candidacy.
About 56% of survey participants agreed with the statement that 59-year-old Kamala Harris "has a sharp mind and is able to cope with difficulties." This opinion about 78-year-old Donald Trump was shared by 49% of respondents. Only 22% of voters rated Biden that way.
Presidential elections in the USA
This yearʼs presidential election in the USA will be held on November 5, 2024. This will be the 60th presidential election in the history of the country, during which the 47th president of the USA will be elected. Donald Trump has already become the candidate of the Republicans and has chosen his vice president — Senator from the state of Ohio James David Vance, known for his criticism of aid to Ukraine.
The main candidate from the Democratic Party was 81-year-old Joe Biden. However, after an unsuccessful debate with Trump in June, he faced widespread criticism and widespread calls to withdraw from the election.
On July 21, Biden officially announced that he was leaving the presidential race. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. However, her candidacy still needs to be approved at the August congress of the Democratic Party.