US election campaign - Debut in Swing State: Harris attacks Trump
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris kicked off her campaign in strategically important state Wisconsin and presented herself as an alternative to the Republican candidate Donald Trump. "You all helped us win in 2020, and we will win again in 2024," Harris told cheering supporters in Milwaukee. This was the first major campaign speech for the 59-year-old in her new role. The U.S. Vice President is launching her bid for the U.S. Presidency with strong support from the Democrats and record amounts of donations.
Wisconsin is a crucial Swing State
Harris couldn't have chosen Wisconsin as her campaign launchpad by chance. This Midwestern U.S. state, which borders the Upper and Michigan lakes, is a so-called Swing State. In these closely contested states, it's not yet clear whether the candidate from the Republicans or the Democrats will win. That's why these states are pivotal.
With its nearly six million inhabitants, Wisconsin is agriculturally oriented. Last week, the Republican Party held its convention in Milwaukee, where Harris also appeared. Trump was officially nominated as his party's candidate there. In the 2020 Presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden won in Wisconsin by a hair's breadth against Trump. This race is expected to be extremely close as well.
Unique electoral system in the USA
U.S. Presidents are not directly elected by the citizens, but by electors. Their votes virtually all go to the winner in that state, regardless of how close the result was. To enter the White House, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes. In addition to Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia are among the closely contested states in the Presidential election on November 5.
U.S. Presidents can receive the most voter votes nationwide but not the most electoral votes. This happened in 2016 when the Democrat Hillary Clinton received more than 2.8 million votes nationwide but Trump entered the White House.
A recent Ipsos-Reuters poll shows Harris with 44% support nationally, two percentage points ahead of Trump. The difference is within the margin of error and therefore not very meaningful. Due to the unique electoral system in the USA, national polls are only a temperature gauge. Whether Harris can defeat Trump is still open.
Harris presents herself as a tough prosecutor
Harris tried to score points with her biography during her Wisconsin speech - she was District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General in her home state of California. "I know Donald Trump's type," she said, hinting that this could be a campaign strategy. "I went after the big banks on Wall Street for fraud. Donald Trump was just found guilty of fraud in 34 cases," she said.
Trump was found guilty of tax fraud in a trial at the end of May. This is the first time in U.S. history that a former President has been convicted of a crime.
Harris secured the support of democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries prior to this. The ranks of the Democrats had already closed behind her. The former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in an opinion piece in the "New York Times": "I know Kamala Harris can beat Donald Trump."
Estimates from US media suggest that Harris currently has the support of sufficient delegates from the Democrats to be nominated as their candidate. The Democrats will choose their candidate or candidate no later than at the Republican Party convention in Chicago, which begins on August 19.
Trump lashes out
Trump is trying to prevent Harris from accessing funds that Biden collected as a presidential candidate. Trump's team reportedly filed a corresponding complaint with the relevant authority. This step is not surprising.
On his platform Truth Social, the 78-year-old insulted his political opponent as "Lying Kamala Harris" - that is, "Lying Kamala Harris". Previously, he called her "Laughing Kamala" ("Laughing Kamala"), apparently because of Harris' noticeable laughter. Trump regularly comes up with unflattering nicknames for his rivals.
Harris is popular on the net
Harris can also count on support from Hollywood and the music world. Actor George Clooney has thrown his weight behind the Democrat. After Harris' appearance, the song "Freedom" by US superstar Beyoncé was played. CNN reported that Harris had been given permission by Beyoncé to use the song.
Singer Charli XCX also apparently threw her support behind the 59-year-old and set off a solidarity wave on the net. The British singer wrote "Kamala IS lit" on the platform X. "Lit" is the title of her new album, and the singer says it stands for a certain way of life.
- Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, commenced her campaign in the strategically important Swing State of Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin, a Midwestern state with nearly six million inhabitants, is crucial due to its status as a Swing State in the United States of America.
- Harris launched her bid for the U.S. Presidency with strong support from the Democrats and record-breaking donations, following her victory in Wisconsin during the 2020 Presidential election against Donald Trump.
- In the unique electoral system of the USA, U.S. Presidents are not elected directly by the citizens but by electors, and a candidate needs 270 electoral votes to enter the White House.
- The highly contested states in the Presidential election on November 5 include Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, and Georgia, which could influence the outcome of the election due to their Swing State status.
- In the 2016 Presidential election, Hillary Clinton received more than 2.8 million votes nationwide, but Donald Trump entered the White House, highlighting the difference between voter and electoral votes in the USA.
- A poll conducted by Ipsos-Reuters shows Harris with 44% support nationally, two percentage points ahead of Trump, but within the margin of error, making the outcome of the election unpredictable.
- Harris secured the support of democratic congressional leaders and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who believes Harris can beat Donald Trump in the 2024 US Election campaign, as suggested by media estimates.
