Vice President Kamala Harris officially launched her campaign against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday with a law-and-order message that emphasized her background as a prosecutor and contrasted sharply with Trump’s legal entanglements. Speaking at a rally in Milwaukee, Harris drew on her extensive career in law enforcement, reminding the crowd of her years as a prosecutor, California Attorney General, and U.S. Senator. She made it clear that her candidacy represents a choice between upholding the rule of law and the legal challenges that have plagued Trump.
“I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris told a cheering crowd, which responded with chants of “lock him up.” She underscored her experience in prosecuting various criminals, contrasting this with Trump’s own legal history. Harris recounted her efforts as California’s Attorney General, where she took on large for-profit colleges that were scamming students—a direct jab at Trump, who had run a for-profit college that was later shut down following allegations of fraud.
“As Attorney General of California, I took on one of our country’s largest for-profit colleges that was scamming students,” Harris recalled. “Donald Trump ran a for-profit college that scammed students. As a prosecutor, I specialized in cases involving sexual abuse. Well, Trump was found liable for committing sexual abuse. As Attorney General in California, I took on the big Wall Street banks and held them accountable for fraud. Donald Trump was just found guilty of fraud on 34 counts.”
Harris’s speech marked her first major public event since President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election, instead endorsing her as the Democratic Party’s nominee. The decision has energized the Democratic base, with Harris raising an impressive $81 million in the first 24 hours of her campaign and over $100 million in the first two days. For context, Biden raised $72 million in the first quarter of his re-election campaign last year, and former President Barack Obama raised $85 million in his first quarter after announcing his bid for a second term.
Harris’s momentum doesn’t stop at fundraising. She has already secured the pledged support of enough delegates to virtually guarantee her the Democratic nomination. While the official vote will take place during the party’s convention in mid-August, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison indicated that a virtual roll call is planned for August 7, allowing the party to avoid potential ballot access issues in key states like Ohio.
The Milwaukee rally, initially planned before Biden’s announcement, took on new significance as Harris began to position herself as the Democratic frontrunner. In her 17-minute speech, Harris offered a preview of her campaign’s central themes, pledging to tackle issues such as child poverty, workers’ rights, affordable healthcare, childcare, paid family leave, and dignified retirement for seniors. She also emphasized her commitment to gun control, advocating for universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons.
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Reproductive rights were another focal point of Harris’s speech. She pledged to overturn the “extreme abortion bans” championed by Trump and his allies. “We will stop Donald Trump’s extreme abortion bans because we trust women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do,” Harris declared. “And when Congress passes a law to restore reproductive freedoms, as President of the United States, I will sign it into law.”
Notably absent from Harris’s address was any mention of her potential running mate, though speculation is rife about several prominent Democrats, including Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
As the race progresses, a debate between Trump and Harris appears increasingly likely. Trump expressed interest in debating Harris directly, potentially multiple times, although he remained noncommittal about participating in the September debate originally planned with Biden. Despite his previous reluctance to engage in primary debates, Trump seemed to acknowledge the importance of such discussions in the general election.
Harris’s campaign launch signals the start of what promises to be a contentious and closely watched battle for the White House, with the contrast between her and Trump set to play a central role in the 2024 election narrative.
