Kamala Harris delivered a fierce address in her first rally since becoming the Democrats’ likely presidential nominee alongside rap stars Quavo and Megan Thee Stallion as she dared Donald Trump to take the debate stage.
The vice president was welcomed by a roar of 10,000 Democrats as she took to the podium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday – a key swing state which Democrats narrowly carried in 2020 that was feared lost during Joe Biden’s re-election bid.
As tensions between the two presidential candidates continue to intensify, including both camps launching scathing new attack adverts, Harris invited Trump to exchange barbs in person, urging: “If you got something to say, say it to my face!”
Megan Thee Stallion helped rile up the crowd which she coined as “Hotties for Harris”, declaring that the US is set to “make history with the first female president. The first black female president”.
The Harris campaign has yet to announce her running mate. She is expected to hold her first rally with her vice presidential pick in Pennsylvania next week.
Let the attack ads begin
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has launched a $50 million ad buy in hopes of introducing her to voters by highlighting her background as a hard-charging California prosecutor who rose to be the Golden State’s top law enforcement official.
The Harris campaign on Tuesday rolled out its first major television advertisement, called “Fearless,” and featuring footage taken from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin rally she held last week.
The 30-second spot opens with a narrator stating that “fearless” is “the one thing Kamala Harris has always been.”
The voiceover continues by relating how she “put murders and abusers behind bars” as a prosecutor and “went after the big banks and won $20 billion for homeowners” as California’s Attorney General.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
Republican firebrand Kari Lake wins Arizona Senate primary
The Republican firebrand was largely expected by her party to replace retiring Senator Kyrsten Sinema. It follows the former newscaster’s failed run for Arizona governor in 2022 as she narrowly lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs.
“Knowing that I’m Trump-endorsed is important to a lot of people here in Arizona,” Lake, who drives around in a bus brandished with “endorsed by Donald Trump,” said.
“This is not a battle between Democrats and Republicans. This is a battle between good and evil,” Lake said at her election night event.
Rachel Sharp has the story…
Watch: Kamala Harris launches attack ad against Donald Trump
We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead. Where every senior can retire with dignity.
But Donald Trump wants to take our country backward.
We are not going back. pic.twitter.com/POhMKFIqZz
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 30, 2024
Marjorie Taylor Greene has attacked Kamala Harris for campaigning in the representative’s “own state” following the vice president’s rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday.
The Georgia lawmaker slammed presumptive Democratic presidential nominee a “radical extremist Democrat” as she launched into a social media tirade on Tuesday evening.
It comes after Harris’ fiery address in the key swing state to a riled-up crowd of 10,000 where she pledged to enhance border security and cut prices if she wins the election in November. The Vice president also called out Donald Trump for shying away from a televised debate.
“We have another radical extremist Democrat campaigning in my home state of Georgia and this time it’s Kamala Harris,” Greene wrote on X.
“Georgia REJECTS radical extremist Democrat policies because we LOVE America.”
In another post on X, Greene declared that “Georgia is TRUMP COUNTRY,” sharing a graphic of the pair ahead of the former president’s rally in Atlanta on Saturday.
We have another radical extremist Democrat campaigning in my home state of Georgia and this time it’s Kamala Harris.
Georgia REJECTS radical extremist Democrat policies because we LOVE America.
We rejected Stacey Abrams in 2018. We rejected Stacey Abrams in 2022. And we will… pic.twitter.com/kLJyuA2DO6
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) July 30, 2024
The ‘10-day countdown’ looming over the Trump campaign
If Donald Trump is having doubts about JD Vance as his running mate, he doesn’t have long to choose a replacement, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“The addition of JD Vance on this ticket is an incredibly bad choice,” Schumer said Sunday on Face the Nation. “Donald Trump, I know him, and he’s probably sitting and watching the TV, and every day it comes out Vance has done something more extreme, more weird, more erratic.”
The New York Democrat argues that the ballot access deadline in Vance’s home state of Ohio, August 7, is fast approaching, though the Ohio secretary of state says it’s been extended to September 1.
“And I’ll bet President Trump is sitting there scratching his head and wondering, why did I pick this guy?” Schumer went on, adding. “Does he keep Vance on the ticket?”
ICYMI: How Kamala Harris’s oldest friend in the Senate could deliver Nevada for her
Kamala Harris spent only two years in the Senate before she launched her ill-fated run for president in 2019. That meant little time for forging strong relationships on Capitol Hill that many vice presidents enjoy.
Harris and Cortez Masto actually knew each other long before they came to Washington, going back to the 2008 financial crisis that disproportionately slammed their states because of the subprime mortgage crisis and foreclosures. Harris and Cortez Masto — along with Delaware’s attorney general, Beau Biden — ultimately sued the big banks and wound up winning a $20 billion settlement.
“In general, I think she’s strong, smart and capable,” Cortez Masto told The Independent, when asked about Harris.
Eric Garcia has the details.
Is Biden still calling shots behind the scenes?
In the nearly ten days since President Biden shocked the world by announcing that he would withdraw from his quest for a second term and endorse Kamala Harris in his stead, Washington has buzzed with speculation over who Harris might choose as a running mate.
When asked if he’s spoken to her about the veepstakes early on Tuesday morning as he returned from a trip to Texas, Biden replied: “We’ll talk.”
Harris could do worse than to take counsel from the 46th president. Biden has experience on both ends of that equation, having been selected for the number-two job by Barack Obama in 2008, and having selected Harris to be his own running-mate during his victorious run against Trump twelve years later.
Andrew Feinberg reports.
How the ‘virtual roll call’ ahead of the DNC actually works
Once the virtual roll call begins, each of the voting delegates will receive a personalized and watermarked form to cast their vote – which they must do within 24 hours. The DNC will then tally the votes and share the full results after the roll call is closed.
Mike Bedigan reports.
The Dude abides with the Harris campaign
Known to fans as ‘The Dude” Bridges attended the ‘White Dudes for Harris’ event via Zoom on 29th Monday 2024.
The 74-year-old said: “I was brought to the party not so much as because I’m white, which I certainly am, but because I’m a dude.
“I’m white, I’m a dude and I’m for Harris. I’m excited, man.”
Other well-known ‘White Dudes for Harris’, attendees included Mark Ruffalo, Josh Gad, Mark Hamill, and Josh Groban.
Jeff Bridges makes surprise appearance at White Dudes for Harris
Big Lebowski actor Jeff Bridges has formally voiced his support for Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign. Known to fans as ‘The Dude” Bridges attended the ‘White Dudes for Harris’ event via Zoom on 29th Monday 2024. The 74-year-old said: “I was brought to the party not so much as because I’m white, which I certainly am, but because I’m a dude. “I’m white, I’m a dude and I’m for Harris. I’m excited, man.” Other well-known ‘White Dudes for Harris’, attendees included Mark Ruffalo, Josh Gad, Mark Hamill, and Josh Groban.
How the border is impacting the 2024 election
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance plans to visit the US-Mexico border this week as part of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
Vance’s multi-day tour of the southern border will begin on Thursday in Cochise County, Arizona, according to the Trump campaign.
“President Donald J. Trump and Vice Presidential Nominee, Senator JD Vance are devastated to see the path of death and destruction American families are facing because of the radical-Left policies of the current administration,” the campaign said in a press release. “A Trump-Vance Administration will secure our border, begin the largest deportation operation in American history, and restore law and order to our country.”
Graig Graziosi reports.
Source: independent.co.uk