Vice President Kamala Harris was greeted by a roaring mass of state voters on Tuesday as she kicked off her public argument against former President Donald Trump, describing Novembers as “a choice between freedom and chaos.” This marked her first campaign rally since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for a second term two days ago and supported her instead.
“I will gladly put up my record against his in this campaign any day of the week,” said Harris to an excited crowd. “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead.”
Harris arrived in Milwaukee area uplifted by added support from democratic delegates and $100 million donations since Sunday afternoon. Her campaign’s momentum has been buoyed by endorsements from Democratic officials and political groups including House leaders Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.
Her visit to Wisconsin underscored the importance of blue wall states – Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania – that are essential for democratic victory. By selecting Milwaukee, Harris placed a strategic peg in a state recently fired up by Republican National Convention.
On Tuesday, Senator Tammy Baldwin spoke before Harris who is up for reelection this year but skipped Biden’s visit earlier this month. As Election Day is less than 100 days away now, Baldwin’s presence revealed unity at work while Harris fine-tuned her message against GOP candidate.
As a former district attorney and California attorney general, she heavily relied on arguing differently with Trump over what he did because he is the first former president ever convicted of felony crimes. “She’s prepared to meet this moment because she was professionally trained to prosecute a criminal, and unfortunately that’s who the Republicans have put forward,” said Senator Laphonza Butler of California.
With Beyoncé’s anthem “Freedom” blaring through loudspeakers behind her; she took center stage at the event ready to distinguish herself from Trump. She made it clear that “I dealt with all sorts of wrongdoers: sexual abusers and fraudsters as well as those who cheated for their own benefit. So believe me when I say that I know the type of person Donald Trump is.”
Harris presented her campaign as a “people first” effort, stressing her opponent’s ties to special interests and corporations. “And I’ll tell you why we are not going back. Ours is a fight for the future,” she stated, echoing former President Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign.
Harris’ rapid ascent necessitated the vetting of potential vice-presidential picks, an exercise headed by Eric Holder, Obama’s former attorney general. Yet, her primary impact has been to energize Democrats. “I’ve been a Democrat my whole life,” said Diane Walter, 68, from South Milwaukee. “She’s energizing the party again.”
Tevin Humphrey, 21 attended the rally with his mother; he described Harris as “a great figure to look up to.” He added that “She’s a better representative of what we’re looking for in terms of diversity.”
Trump and his campaign have quickly shifted their focus to Harris since then by referring to her as “Lyin’ Kamala Harris” and accusing her of being soft on crime during her time as a prosecutor. Trump has also attempted to link her with border policies pursued by his administration in an attempt at making immigration central issue during the campaign trail.
Rather than facing Younger Vice President, Trump may find it very difficult to face Biden. Since Biden withdrew twice from the race, Trump has proposed that the second planned presidential debate which is supposed to happen between ABC News and Fox News known to be more partial should be moved.
But Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, had little patience for Trump’s attacks. Asked what he thought of them by reporters his response was: “Is that all?”
Accompanying Harris in Wisconsin were numerous high-ranking state officials including Governor Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. Their backing underscored the importance of Harris’ trip.
However, leading Republicans in Wisconsin branded Harris an “extreme liberal,” whose politics did not resonate with most swing state voters. ‘”Kamala Harris’ favorability ratings are as bad as Joe Biden’s,” said Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming at a news conference before Harris’ event. “So they are exchanging one bad candidate for another bad candidate hoping people in this state and this country don’t notice where she really stands on the issues.”
