Kamala Harris slams Donald Trump, says election is ‘choice between freedom and chaos’
The event reflected a vibrancy that had been lacking among Democrats in recent weeks, adding to the evidence, along with US$100 million in donations since Sunday afternoon, that Harris aims to project a sense of steady confidence about the November election.
The vice-president has also scored the backing of Democratic officials and political groups, including congressional leaders Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.
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Kamala Harris, a trailblazer eyeing America’s highest glass ceiling
By stopping in Wisconsin, Harris was going to one of the “blue wall” states, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, that Democrats see as essential for securing a presidential victory.
The visit comes a week after the Republican National Convention wrapped up in the city, as Harris works to sharpen her message against the Republican Party nominee with just over 100 days until Election Day.
Harris is leaning into her resume as a former district attorney and California attorney general, seeking to draw a contrast with Trump, who is the first former president to be 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 California Democrat Senator Laphonza Butler.
Harris strode onto the stage on Tuesday to the anthem “Freedom” from Beyoncé’s Lemonade album. She opened by contrasting herself with Trump.
“I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said.
She also portrayed her rival’s policies as being antiquated and backward looking. “We are not going back,” she said. “And I’ll tell you why we are not going back. Ours is a fight for the future.” That echoed Barack Obama who frequently deployed the refrain during his 2012 re-election fight to argue against Republican ideas.
Harris’ swift ascent over the past few days has required her to vet possible running mates, a process being led by Eric Holder, who was attorney general during Obama’s presidency. But her key impact so far has been galvanising Democrats.
Before the Tuesday speech, Diane Walter, 68, of South Milwaukee said she’s thrilled that Harris is the candidate.
“I’ve been a Democrat my whole life,” Walter said. “She’s energising the party again.”
Tevin Humphrey, 21, came with his mother Myeesha Johnson, 41, and described the vice-president as “a great figure to look up to”.
“She’s a better representative of the diversity we’re looking for,” he said.
Trump and his campaign have quickly turned most of their focus on Harris and have asserted that they were prepared for the change and it did not alter their plans.
The former president has nicknamed the vice-president “Lyin’ Kamala Harris”, accused her of not being tough enough on crime as a prosecutor, and sought to bind her to the administration’s policies on the border as he seeks to make immigration a focus of his campaign.
In addition to Baldwin, Harris was to be joined by major elected officials in Wisconsin, including Governor Tony Evers, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, as well as state labour leaders.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republican leaders are branding Harris as an “extreme liberal” who is out of step with most voters in the swing state.
“Kamala Harris’ favourables are as bad as Joe Biden’s,” said Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming at a news conference ahead of the Harris event at a high school outside Milwaukee. “So they are exchanging one bad candidate for another bad candidate in the hope that the people of this state and this country don’t notice where she actually stands on the issues.”