Harris Gains Momentum in Campaign Against Trump

Harris Gains Momentum in Campaign Against Trump

HOUSTON – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris escalated her presidential campaign efforts on Thursday, addressing the nation's largest teachers' union and pledging a fight for the nation's future. Recent opinion polls reveal she is closing the gap with her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

 

Harris, 59, has swiftly emerged as the Democratic presidential candidate for the November 5 election, succeeding President Joe Biden, 81. Her candidacy has injected new vigor into a previously stagnant race, with multiple polls indicating a narrowing of Trump's lead.

 

Speaking to the American Federation of Teachers in Houston, Harris focused on economic policy and workers' rights. She advocated for affordable healthcare and childcare and lambasted Republicans for obstructing gun control measures in the wake of school shootings.

 

"We are in a fight for our most fundamental freedoms," Harris told the 3,500 attendees. "And to this room of leaders, I say: Bring it on."

 

A series of polls conducted since Biden announced his withdrawal from the race, including one by Reuters/Ipsos, show Harris and Trump starting their head-to-head contest on nearly equal footing, setting the stage for a close race over the next three-and-a-half months.

 

A New York Times/Siena College national poll published Thursday showed Harris has significantly closed what was a considerable gap. Trump leads Harris by a narrow margin of 48% to 46% among registered voters, compared to a 49% to 41% lead in early July, following Biden's disastrous debate performance, which spurred a wave of Democratic calls for him to step aside.

 

While national polls provide critical insights into voter support, a handful of competitive states typically determine the outcome in the U.S. Electoral College, which ultimately decides the presidential election. Harris also received encouraging news on this front. A poll by Emerson College/The Hill found she is closing the gap with Trump in five key battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Trump maintains a slight lead in all but Wisconsin, which is tied.

 

These polls suggest that while Trump, 78, retains a narrow advantage, he has not experienced the post-convention boost in support that candidates often hope for.

 

Trump, in his first rally since Harris replaced Biden on the ticket, criticized her sharply. He continued his attacks online, posting, "We're not ready for a Marxist President, and Lyin' Kamala Harris is a RADICAL LEFT MARXIST, AND WORSE!"

 

Over 40 former U.S. Justice Department officials, mainly from Democratic administrations, signed a letter endorsing Harris and calling Trump a threat to the rule of law. "Former President Trump presents a grave risk to our country, our global alliances, and the future of democracy. As President, he regularly ignored the rule of law," the letter stated, signed by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and others.

 

NBC News was the first to report on the letter. Former President Barack Obama has been in regular contact with Harris and plans to endorse her as the Democratic presidential candidate soon, a source familiar with his plans said Thursday. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also endorsed Harris, along with dozens of other female lawmakers.

 

The Harris campaign released its first video advertisement online Thursday, with Harris narrating the ad, framing the campaign as a battle to protect Americans' individual liberties, set to the tune of Beyoncé's "Freedom."

 

The next major development will be Harris' selection of a vice-presidential candidate to counter Trump's pick, U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio. The list of contenders includes notable Democrats such as U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, as well as Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

 

Harris' rise has largely pushed Trump out of the headlines, even after the Republican National Convention and an assassination attempt that narrowly missed him. FBI Director Christopher Wray told a House panel on Wednesday that investigators are still unsure whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel. Trump insists it was a bullet.

 

Trump campaign spokesperson Jason Miller dismissed doubts about the bullet, calling them a conspiracy and using an expletive. The FBI maintained in a Thursday statement that the incident was indeed an attempted assassination, without clarifying whether Trump was hit by a bullet or shrapnel.