Attorney General versus felon How Kamala Harris can beat Trump
US Vice President Kamala Harris wants to run against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in the November election. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could hardly be greater. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
US Vice President Kamala Harris wants to run against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump in the November election. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could hardly be greater. (archive picture)
Image: dpa
The departure of Joe Biden has turned the entire US election campaign on its head. Donald Trump has to adjust to a new opponent who has some weaknesses, but also great opportunities.
22.07.2024, 21:41
23.07.2024, 08:55
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No time? blue News summarizes for you
- With Kamala Harris, Donald Trump has to prepare for a new opponent. Everything is pointing towards a presidential candidacy for the former senator from California.
- The differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could hardly be greater.
- Trump must now completely rethink his campaign and develop a new strategy.
This is not good news for Donald Trump. Everything was going so well for the Republican in the election campaign. After the assassination attempt on him, the presidential candidate staged himself as a hero who couldn't even be stopped by a bullet - against a competitor who was already having problems finding the door or putting on a jacket. Trump hardly had to do anything and just had to watch Joe Biden dismantle himself. But now Biden is no longer there as a campaign opponent. And the woman Trump is likely to have to deal with is making his life more difficult: Kamala Harris.
Biden's running mate has yet to secure the Democratic presidential nomination. But it's all coming down to the former senator from California. Biden has nominated her, Harris wants the job and the party is rallying behind her in a rush. This gives the Democrats new momentum after long and agonizing debates about Biden's condition. There is a spirit of optimism among them - and a little hope that perhaps all is not lost after all. What does this spectacular turnaround mean for the rest of the race for the White House?
The contrast between Harris and Trump
The differences between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could hardly be greater. She's a woman, he's a man, she's black, he's white. Harris is 59, Trump is 78 - and suddenly he looks old in a contest with an opponent who is almost two decades younger. She, the former Attorney General of California, against him, the convicted felon. Above all, Harris is likely to use this offensively in the election campaign - especially as she herself, unlike Biden with his son Hunter, is not carrying around legal baggage in her own family.
Harris can probably score more points with certain groups of voters than Trump, but also than Biden: especially with blacks, but probably also with younger people and with women. Trump must now completely rethink his campaign and develop a new strategy. The Republican is even complaining about this publicly, ranting on his online platform Truth Social: "Now we have to start all over again." The Republican Party should be compensated for its previous campaign spending, which was entirely focused on Biden, he rages.
Harris' biggest target
Trump's team immediately began attacking Harris. Within a very short space of time, the Trump team released its first campaign ad directed against her. The narrative: Harris had been pulling the strings in the background for a long time because Biden was simply no longer in a position to do so. She is responsible for the government's failures - including the crisis on the border with Mexico.
The issue of migration is likely to be Trump's main point of attack. It was his parade theme in the 2020 election campaign and remains so in this election year: Trump rants at every rally that the country is being overrun by hordes of dangerous and criminal migrants. He is likely to hold Harris personally responsible for this from now on.
Biden entrusted Harris with the impossible task of "combating the causes of flight". After three and a half years, she doesn't have much to show for it. The issue of migration remains a problem. Although the number of illegal border crossings into the USA has recently fallen, this is from a record level.
Other weaknesses of the Democrat
Things have not gone well for Harris as Biden's deputy in recent years. The office is generally a rather thankless one: the deputy's job is to promote and represent the president's policies, while at the same time setting his own tone without upstaging the boss. Harris remained invisible for long stretches, instead making a name for herself from time to time with her own blunders and struggling with poor popularity ratings. Only recently did she gain some profile on the issue of abortion.
Harris used to present herself as tough as a prosecutor and confident as a senator. As Vice President, on the other hand, she often came across as insecure and inauthentic. Perhaps the leading role as a presidential candidate will suit her better if she no longer has to act in the shadow of a boss.
Her strengths
Thanks to her three and a half years as Vice President, Harris knows the White House, the government apparatus and is known both nationally and internationally. She is also well connected within the party. In all likelihood, she can draw on the structures and money of the previous Biden-Harris election campaign. And as the first woman and first black woman to hold the vice presidency, she has pioneer status. She would also have this status if she actually made it into the White House as the first female president. But there is still a long way to go.
As a woman, she can approach some issues - such as the controversy over abortion, which is important in the election campaign and affects many American women - very differently than Biden could. And as an ex-prosecutor, she can not only attack Trump for his criminal activities, but possibly also appeal to centrist voters with law-and-order messages.
Harris' biggest asset in the election campaign, however, is that she is neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump. Many people in the country were unenthusiastic about a new race between the two from the outset and simply did not want either of these two old white men. Now they are likely to get a maximum contrast to choose from: not only in terms of content, but also in terms of the two people who stand for that content.
Harris' chances of winning
Kamala Harris is not the ideal candidate. She is more of an emergency solution who has slipped into this role for pragmatic reasons. There is also the question of whether the USA is ready for a woman in the highest office. But at least her poll ratings against Trump are slightly better than those of Biden. That gives Democrats hope.
However, the party is also concerned about something else with the change. In the election on November 5, not only will the seat in the White House be redistributed, but all seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the seats in the Senate will also be redistributed. With Biden as front man, the Democrats have recently been in sheer panic that they will no longer have a say in either chamber. With Harris at the helm, it is also a matter of preventing the worst from happening so that Trump cannot rule in the event of an election victory.
