Displaying items by tag: Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris faced Donald Trump in a high-stakes debate ahead of the 2024 election. Harris, making her debate debut against Trump, focused on attacking his leadership, highlighting his shifting positions on abortion and crowd sizes. Trump attempted to play up his immigration policies but struggled under Harris’s sharp retorts. Harris emphasised her vision for change, positioning herself as the candidate to move beyond Trump’s ‘tired playbook’ of grievances. Despite Trump’s attempts to paint her as a continuation of Joe Biden, she stayed on message, especially on economic and climate issues. The debate moderators fact-checked Trump, leading to complaints from him and his supporters about unfair treatment. Harris ended the debate on a high note, made even better when pop star Taylor Swift publicly endorsed her. Though polls show mixed views on who represents ‘change’, Harris’s performance has solidified her status as a strong contender in the extremely tight race for the White House.

Former teacher and National Guard member Tim Walz, who recently went viral for his calling Donald Trump ‘weird’, has now been adopted by Kamala Harris as her running mate for the presidential election. Walz, governor of Minnesota, is noted for his appeal to rural white voters and his progressive policies, such as free school meals and expanded paid leave. He also enacted the ‘Taylor Swift bill’ to regulate ticket sales. Despite Minnesota's Democratic leaning, its proximity to battleground states like Wisconsin and Michigan adds strategic value. Walz, 60, has a background in education and military service, connecting well with ordinary Americans. His political career began in 2006, winning a Republican-leaning congressional district and later the governorship in 2018. He is well-known for his record on LGBT and abortion rights, banning conversion therapy, and supporting gender-affirming healthcare.

During a convention for black journalists, Donald Trump questioned Kamala Harris' racial identity, falsely claiming that she has only recently emphasised her black heritage. Trump remarked, ‘I didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black’, and questioned whether she was Indian or black. Harris, the first black and Asian-American vice-president, dismissed Trump's remarks as divisive and disrespectful, emphasising that America's diversity is a strength. Her parents are Indian and Jamaican, and she attended Howard University and joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 2017. One critic asked, ‘Who appointed Donald Trump the arbiter of Blackness?’ He has a history of racially charged attacks, including false claims about Barack Obama's birthplace and questioning Nikki Haley's eligibility for presidency. Harris has faced a series of attacks since becoming the Democratic nominee: some Republicans have labelled her a ‘DEI vice-president’ - a reference to diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes.