First campaign appearance with Harris: Vice-Candidate Walz attacks Trump head-on
At the debut of the new Democratic presidential ticket before around 10,000 enthusiastic supporters in the Pennsylvania metropolis, Walz delivered a highly combative speech. He once again employed the fighting word "weird" ("strange", "odd") for Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance, which had caused a stir in recent weeks.
Trump and Vance are "creepy" and "damn weird", the 60-year-old said, as Harris smiled behind him. Walz also set other points against the former president. He criticized that the number of violent crimes had increased under the Republican's presidency - and added with laughter and applause: "Not even counting the crimes Trump himself committed."
Walz was referring to the legal entanglements of the right-wing populist, who was convicted last year in a civil trial for sexual violence and found guilty this year in a criminal trial for a hush money payment and falsification of business records. Trump is thus the first former U.S. president to be convicted in a criminal trial - which is why Harris, who was previously the Attorney General of California, likes to portray her confrontation with Trump as that between a prosecutor and a criminal.
At the joint appearance of Harris and Walz, it became clear that they want to present Trump as a threat to fundamental freedoms of U.S. citizens until the November election. Walz warned that the Republican wants to impose a nationwide ban on abortions - a right that has already been severely restricted or abolished in numerous states dominated by Republicans.
"We're fighting for a future where we defend our most basic freedoms," said the 59-year-old vice president. If Trump returns to the White House, "he'll pick up right where he left off four years ago, but this time it will be much, much worse," Walz warned.
The location of the first campaign appearance of Harris and Walz was chosen strategically. Pennsylvania is considered a state that Harris must win to secure an overall victory over Trump on November 5th. Therefore, the state's governor, Josh Shapiro, had also been mentioned as a potential running mate. Shapiro was present at the rally and pledged to work hard for the new leadership duo.
That Harris chose Walz was attributed by U.S. media, among other reasons, to the fact that she had the best personal connection with the governor of Minnesota among all candidates. Shapiro's perceived pro-Israel stance by many on the left wing of the party was also mentioned as a weakness.
Although Walz comes from a state that is not considered a key "swing state" in the election, his background in simpler circumstances, his earlier experiences as a National Guard soldier, teacher, and high school football coach, and his down-to-earth and direct manner are supposed to help Harris win undecided voters in the middle and decide swing states.
At the same time, Walz represents progressive positions on several political fields that resonate with the left wing of the Democratic Party. As governor, he enacted laws legalizing cannabis and strengthening gun laws, and he advocated for abortion rights.
Harris praised Walz in her speech in Philadelphia as a leader who "unites our nation and drives us forward" and as a "champion for the middle class". Meanwhile, Republicans have already launched fierce attacks against Walz. Trump's campaign team branded him a "dangerous left-wing extremist". Vance dismissed Walz's political record as a "joke".
In the coming days, Harris and Walz plan to visit more "swing states". In some polls, Harris has now slightly overtaken Trump nationally.
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Trump and Vance continue to be a source of controversy with their "creepy" and "damn weird" actions, according to Walz. The former president's legal entanglements, including his convictions for sexual violence and falsification of business records, have become amajor point of criticism for Harris.
