Trump has just been chosen as his presidential candidate in Milwaukee. Now his new political opponent Harris is appearing there. The location for her campaign launch is probably no coincidence.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has aggressively launched her campaign in the strategically important state of Wisconsin, presenting herself as the antithesis of Republican candidate Donald Trump. “You all helped us win in 2020. And we will win again in 2024,” Harris said to cheering supporters in Milwaukee. It was the 59-year-old’s first real campaign speech in her new role. The US Vice President is opening her race for the US presidency with enormous support from the ranks of the Democrats and record amounts of donations.
Wisconsin is an important swing state
It is probably no coincidence that Harris chose Wisconsin as the starting point for her campaign. The state in the Midwest of the USA, which borders Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, is a so-called swing state. In these particularly hotly contested states, it is not clear in advance whether the Republican or Democratic candidate will win, as is traditional. This is why these states are decisive in the election.
Wisconsin, with its almost six million inhabitants, is predominantly agricultural. Last week, the Republican Party Convention took place in the metropolis of Milwaukee, where Harris also appeared – Trump was officially chosen as his party’s candidate there. In the 2020 presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden only narrowly defeated Trump in Wisconsin. This time, too, the race is shaping up to be extremely close.
Special electoral system in the USA
US presidents will not be elected directly by the citizens, but by electors. Their votes almost always go entirely to the winner in the state that sends these electors – no matter how close the result there was. 270 electoral votes are needed to enter the White House. In the presidential election on November 5, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina are among the hotly contested states in addition to Wisconsin.
Because of the electoral system, a candidate can receive the most votes nationwide, but not the most electoral votes. This also happened in 2016, when Democrat Hillary Clinton was ahead by more than 2.8 million votes nationwide – but Trump moved into the White House.
A recent survey by the Ipsos polling institute and the Reuters news agency puts Harris two percentage points ahead of Trump at the national level with 44 percent support. However, the difference is within the margin of error and therefore only has limited significance. Because of the special electoral system in the USA, national surveys are only a barometer of the mood anyway. It remains to be seen whether Harris can beat Trump.
Harris presents herself as a tough prosecutor
During her speech in Wisconsin, Harris tried to score points with her biography – she was the district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general in her home state of California. “I know Donald Trump’s type,” she said, making a similar statement to the one she made to her campaign team the day before – an indication that this may be a strategy in the election campaign. “I took on the big banks of Wall Street and held them accountable for fraud. Donald Trump was just found guilty of 34 counts of fraud,” she said.
At the end of May, Trump was found guilty in a trial for concealing hush money payments to a porn actress. It is the first time in US history that a former president has been convicted of a crime. In her speech, the US Vice President also addressed the Republican’s other legal problems. “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and the rule of law, or in a country of chaos, fear and hatred?” she asked.
Kamala Harris secures new Trump nickname.
Harris was previously able to secure the important support of the Democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries. The Democrats had already closed ranks behind her. 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.”
According to estimates by US media, Harris currently has the support of enough Democratic delegates to be nominated as their party’s candidate. The Democrats will choose their candidate at the latest at the Republican Party Convention in Chicago, which begins on August 19. In addition, according to her team, she has managed to collect a record amount of donations since her boss Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race on Sunday. The US broadcaster CNN wrote of a “dream start” for the 59-year-old Democrat, but made it clear that the task ahead of her is “monumental”.
Trump shows his claws
At the same time, Trump is trying to prevent Harris from accessing funds that Biden collected when he was still a presidential candidate. According to US media, Trump’s team has filed a complaint with the relevant authority. The move is not surprising. According to the New York Times, the Republican stated that he was ready for a TV debate with Harris.
On his mouthpiece Truth Social, the 78-year-old denigrated his political opponent as “Lyin’ Kamala Harris.” He previously called her “Laughing Kamala,” presumably because of Harris’s conspicuous laugh. Trump regularly invents unflattering nicknames for his rivals. For example, he calls US President Biden “Sleepy Joe” and top Democratic politician Nancy Pelosi “Crazy Nancy.”
“Brat” and “Veep” – Harris is a hit on the internet
Harris, meanwhile, can look forward to support from Hollywood and the music world. Actor George Clooney supported the Democrat. After Harris’ performance, the song “Freedom” by US superstar Beyoncé was played. US broadcaster CNN reported that Harris had received permission from Beyoncé to play the song. Singer Charli XCX also apparently supported the 59-year-old and triggered a wave of solidarity online. The Briton wrote “Kamala IS brat” on the X platform. “Brat” is the title of her new album and, according to the singer, stands for a kind of attitude to life.
Numerous clips reminiscent of the TV series “Veep” also circulated on the Internet. In the bitter satire, Julia Louis-Dreyfus played a vice president who eventually became president herself. The portal “Deadline” reported that the series saw a sudden increase in viewer numbers on the streaming platform Max. “Veep” producer David Mandel called for donations for Harris. Trump has had difficulty getting support from the more liberal show business in the past. Singer Kid Rock and ex-wrestler Hulk Hogan performed at the Republican Party Convention.
Meeting with Netanyahu
Meanwhile, in the US capital Washington, daily business continues. US President Biden returned to the White House after his corona infection. The 81-year-old wants to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, who will give a speech to the US Congress this Wednesday. According to media reports, a meeting between Netanyahu and Harris is also planned. The relationship between Netanyahu and Biden is cool – and not just since the Democrat criticized Netanyahu’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.
Republican Trump also announced that he would receive Netanyahu – on Friday in Florida. The move, which comes in the middle of the election campaign, is an affront to Biden. Trump repeatedly accuses the Democrat of his alleged lack of leadership leading to the war in Gaza and the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
