Kamala Harris, backed by Democrats, launches campaign

(Washington) Kamala Harris, now widely supported by her Democratic camp, fully launched into the campaign on Monday by frontally attacking Donald Trump, whom she promises to beat in the November election.

Comparing the 78-year-old Republican candidate to a “predator” and a “crook,” the current American vice president declared in what was her first campaign speech: “We will win.”

Propelled into the race for the White House by Joe Biden’s withdrawal on Sunday, Kamala Harris acknowledged Monday that the campaign had been a “roller coaster.” “I know that […] “We’re all filled with so many mixed feelings about this. I love Joe Biden,” she said from campaign headquarters in Wilmington.

She also promised to put abortion rights at the heart of her campaign strategy. “We’re going to fight for the right to control one’s body, knowing full well that if Trump has the chance, he will enact an abortion ban in every state,” she said.

The vice president will also meet this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, her office announced.

Before his speech, it was a Joe Biden with a voice still hoarse from COVID-19 who spoke, on the phone from his vacation home—the same one from which he announced Sunday that he was throwing in the towel. He is due back at the White House on Tuesday, according to his official schedule, with his doctor assuring that he is almost symptom-free.

“She is the best,” the president insisted, again affirming that his decision to withdraw was the “right one.” His vice-president had praised his record on Monday morning, “without equivalent in modern history.”

Support from Democrats

The first campaign speech comes after the vice president has garnered support from Democrats one after another, solidifying her stature as the candidate to replace Joe Biden in November. That choice will be formalized at the Democratic convention in Chicago in mid-August.

Significant support obtained by the first female vice-president in the history of the United States, that of the Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, saying she had “full confidence” in Kamala Harris.

The vice president has received strong support from several key governors, including some seen as potential rivals, including Gretchen Whitmer (Michigan) and Gavin Newsom (California).

Support also came from a range of Democratic elected officials, from the moderate wing of the party to the far left, represented in particular by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an influential elected official from New York, as well as from the main American union group, the AFL-CIO.

However, some major Democratic figures, such as former President Barack Obama or Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, have not yet directly supported the woman who is also the first black vice president.

And Joe Biden’s withdrawal also brought big benefits to Democrats, with $81 million raised in 24 hours, a record amount from small donors.

Upheaval

In just eight days, the race for the White House has seen two major historic twists that have completely reshuffled the cards of an election that Americans were not very passionate about: first the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on July 13, then the thunderclap on Sunday of Joe Biden’s withdrawal, forced to give in under pressure from his own camp.

Joe Biden is scheduled to address the nation later this week.

Now the oldest candidate in the race, at 78, Donald Trump continued to joke about the president’s mental abilities. “Joe Biden doesn’t remember dropping out of the race yesterday!” he quipped on his social network.

Trump campaign shaken up

Because on the Republican side, this announcement shakes up Donald Trump’s candidacy, forcing him to review his electoral strategy, which is very focused on the president’s state of health.

According to an average of polls conducted before Sunday’s turning point, Kamala Harris would obtain a slightly better score on November 5 than Joe Biden against Donald Trump, but would still trail the Republican by two percentage points (46% against 48% for him).

Donald Trump’s campaign team has already prepared campaign ads attacking Kamala Harris. Senator JD Vance, chosen to be the Republican’s running mate, denounced on Monday an “undemocratic” process to remove Joe Biden and select Kamala Harris in his place.

Taking advantage of the Democratic setbacks, Donald Trump continues to tour the electoral terrain, capitalizing on the unifying effect of his party’s convention that officially inaugurated him as candidate last week. He will hold a new campaign rally on Wednesday in North Carolina.

(Re)read “Analysis: The potential and risks of turning to Kamala Harris”