Kamala Harris spent the bulk of her first rally speech as a 2024 presidential candidate today by leaning heavily into contrasts to Donald Trump, characterizing her campaign as a “fight for the future” while his is one that “wants to take our country backward.”
In the Milwaukee area event, Harris told the enthusiastic crowd, “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate? And here’s the beauty of this moment: We each have the power to answer that question.”
Repeating some of the lines from her Biden-Harris campaign stump speech, as well as what she said to Wilmington campaign staff on Monday, Harris nevertheless is drawing media interest she did not before Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. All of the major news channels carried all or part of the speech, with Fox News exiting after about 10 minutes.
“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris told the crowd, claiming that Project 2025 “will weaken the middle class.”
She claimed that Trump would cut Social Security and Medicare, give tax breaks to “billionaires and big corporations, and make working families foot the bill.”
Project 2025 is a Heritage Foundation blueprint for the next administration authored by many former members of Trump’s administration. Trump and his campaign have tried to distance themselves from the document, which runs hundreds of pages. Among other things, it would create just two tax brackets, 15% and 30%, and eliminate deductions. According to Steve Rattner, economic analyst for Morning Joe, that would mean a tax increase for a family of four whose income is $150,000 and under. Those above that level would see their taxes cut.
In her speech, Harris implicitly stressed the generational differences with Trump. With Biden out of the race, Trump, 78, is now the oldest candidate.
“Ours is a fight for the future,” Harris said. “And it is a fight for freedom.” Telling the attendees that the “baton is in our hands,” Harris went through a succession of issues including voting rights and gun laws, while also emphasizing abortion, which has been a liability for Republicans since the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade. She pledged to sign legislation to codify abortion rights into federal law.
Meanwhile, with some initial polling showing Harris improving the Democrats’ position in the race, Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio released a memo predicting a “Harris Honeymoon.”
“As I’ve explained, the honeymoon will be a manifestation of the wall-to-wall coverage Harris receives from the MSM. The coverage will be largely positive and will certainly energize Democrats and some other parts of their coalition at least in the short term,” he wrote. He predicted that the poll boost would “last a while until the race settles back down.”
“So, while the public polls may change in the short run and she may consolidate a bit more of the Democrat base, Harris can’t change who she is or what she’s done,” he wrote. “Stay tuned…”
Harris also continues to reclaim Democratic donors who withheld their support following Biden’s dismal debate performance in June. Among them is Abigail Disney, who has resumed giving, according to CNBC.
The post Kamala Harris Leans Into “Fight For The Future” Contrast With Donald Trump As VP Holds First Rally Of Her 2024 Presidential Campaign appeared first on Deadline.
