As President Biden's reelection campaign tightens and he faces calls to withdraw from the race following major gaffes at last week's debate, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed donors at a private fundraiser in San Francisco on Tuesday, emphasizing that the election is a choice between civil rights and tyranny.
“Let's just address the big issues in the room. There are actually two issues: the debate and the Trump,” Harris told about 35 supporters gathered in real estate executive Susan Lowenberg's Nob Hill apartment, a high-rise overlooking the city and bay, drawing some laughter.
“As the president said, this debate [was] “This is not his finest hour, and we all know that,” Harris told the crowd, but she added that the outcome of the election “will not be decided on one day in June.”
“It's true that the stakes in this election are very high. It's true that it's a close race. It's true that there are big differences on both sides of the split screen in terms of who's standing for what and what they've accomplished,” she said. “And it's true that Trump is a liar.”
Her appearance at the San Francisco fundraiser came the same day the Trump campaign announced the fundraiser. $331 million, compared with Biden's $264 million. During the second quarter of this year, Biden's previous financial advantage over Trump evaporated.
“President Trump's campaign fundraising is growing stronger with each passing day and month,” Republican campaign consultants Chris LaCivita and Suzie Wiles said in a statement. “This fundraising momentum will only intensify as Democrats continue their mass firing squad following Biden's debate defeat in the run-up to the global convention.”
Harris, who was with a Times reporter at a private fundraiser on Tuesday, declined to say anything more about Biden's debate performance.
Elizabeth Ashford, a Democratic strategist who served as Harris' chief of staff when she was California's attorney general, praised her recent focus on delivering a clear, unequivocal message to an anxious American electorate. Her job, Ashford said, is to focus on the administration's accomplishments and show voters (without actually saying it) that she can step in to effectively lead the country if necessary.
“That's where I'm going to focus,” Ashford said. “One of the things that Kamara has grown into is she's really become more confident in how she communicates, and this is that moment.”
According to a new CNN poll: 75% of voters believe replacing Biden with someone new would give Democrats a better chance of keeping the White House. The poll also showed support for Harris was roughly equal to that of Trump in a hypothetical matchup, with 47% of registered voters surveyed nationwide backing Trump and 45% saying they would vote for Harris. The same poll showed the gap between the current front-runners was even wider, with 49% backing Trump and 43% backing Biden.
At the fundraiser on Tuesday, Harris appeared comfortable and relaxed in a room full of longtime donors and friends since she first entered San Francisco politics as district attorney two decades ago.
Harris has also proposed capping insulin prices for seniors on Medicare. Cancel student loan debt She highlighted the White House's commitment to mitigating climate change through investments in green energy, as well as support for reproductive freedom and other rights of women and vulnerable groups.
“The American people know that there is an all-out attack — a deliberate attack — on our hard-won freedoms and rights,” she said.
Harris said that risk has been “further heightened” by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Monday granting legal immunity to Trump, and likely future presidents, from criminal prosecution arising from their official duties while in office.
“And let's not forget, Donald Trump respects dictators and has openly stated that he intends to be a dictator from day one,” Harris said. “We have to fight, and we know how to fight.”
