US Vice President and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris smiles as she takes the podium to speak at a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 30, 2024. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage / AFP)
In her most vigorous campaign rally to date, Kamala Harris launched a sharp critique of Donald Trump on Tuesday, asserting that the dynamics of the presidential race are shifting in her favor and challenging the Republican candidate to a face-to-face debate.
Vice President Harris’s visit to Atlanta, Georgia, signals a renewed Democratic focus on the swing state, which seemed out of reach under President Joe Biden before his unexpected withdrawal from the 2024 race.
The presumptive Democratic nominee aims to expand the party’s battleground map and attract young Black voters, delivering a resolute 20-minute speech to about 10,000 supporters in a packed arena and promising that Americans “are not going back” to Trump’s “failed policies.”
“Now, the baton is in our hands,” Harris declared to enthusiastic applause. “We have a fight in front of us… And we are the underdogs in this race.”
Following Biden’s July 21 exit from the race, Harris’s presidential bid has gained momentum, with much of the party rallying behind her and her campaign raising an impressive $200 million.
“The momentum in this race is shifting, and there are signs that Donald Trump is feeling it,” she said.
Trump recently announced he would break with political tradition and not debate Harris, while also attacking her with insults, calling her “crazy” and a “bum.”
“Well Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider meeting me on the debate stage, because as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” Harris responded, to loud cheers from the crowd.
Harris also highlighted her experience as a former prosecutor and California attorney general, claiming she knows “Donald Trump’s type” and is ready to confront him.
“In this campaign, I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week,” she said.
With just 98 days before the election, Harris is under pressure to announce her vice presidential pick. When asked on Tuesday, she said she had not yet made a decision.
Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Harris, and the search for her running mate is nearing its conclusion. Harris’s team announced plans to campaign next week in key battleground states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.
As the White House race heats up, Harris unveiled her first television ad since replacing Biden, while Trump’s campaign released an ad attacking her on immigration.
Harris dismissed Trump’s attacks, emphasizing that while the Biden administration worked on critical border legislation with conservatives, Trump sabotaged it for political gain.
“Donald Trump does not care about border security,” she said. “He only cares about himself.”
Harris outlined her key economic goals, such as expanding affordable health care and addressing rising consumer costs. She also criticized Trump’s “extreme abortion bans,” referencing restrictive laws enacted in several states since the Supreme Court, with three Trump-nominated justices, removed constitutional protections for abortion.
Harris declared Georgia essential to winning the White House. In response, Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance announced a rally in Atlanta on Saturday.
“Kamala Harris and her complicit cronies have made the great people of Georgia pay a hefty price for their woke policies,” the Trump campaign stated.
Harris inherited a challenging electoral map from Biden, initially focusing on Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Now, Democrats are reconsidering their chances in other states like Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, which they narrowly won in 2020.
Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, labeled Harris as “dangerously liberal” during a rally in Henderson, Nevada, while Trump campaigns in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
Adding star power for younger voters, hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion performed before Harris took the stage in Atlanta.
