Harris says she is 'underdog' in presidential race against Trump

WASHINGTON - Vice-President Kamala Harris cast herself as an "underdog" in the presidential race against Donald Trump on July 27, despite polls showing the rivals in a virtual tie, and said much of the rhetoric coming from her Republican opponent and his running mate, JD Vance, was "just plain weird."

Ms Harris, speaking at a private fund-raiser headlined by singer-songwriter James Taylor in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, also hit many of the themes she evoked this week during a blitz of campaign appearances since ascending to the top of the ticket after Democratic President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid.

She again contrasted her background as a prosecutor with Trump's record as a convicted felon and said her campaign was about the future, while Trump wanted to return the country to a "dark past."

Her use of the word "weird" to describe her opponents was part of a new strategy from Democrats. The Harris campaign called Trump "old and quite weird" following his appearance on Fox News on July 25, prompting at least one supporter to show up at the event with a sign proclaiming "Trump is weird."

Trump was scheduled to rally alongside Mr Vance in Minnesota later on July 27 after addressing a cryptocurrency conference in Nashville, part of a broader Republican effort to court crypto holders ahead of the Nov 5 election.

The party has promised lighter regulation for crypto, while Trump recently slammed Democrats' attempts to regulate the sector.

Trump's campaign event in St Cloud, Minnesota, will take place in an 8,000-seat hockey arena, an indoor venue that complies with the US Secret Service's recommendation that he avoid large outdoor events following an attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania two weeks ago.

Trump: She has no talent and is a failure

(Kamala Harris is a historically accomplished Vice President while Trump is a jobless convicted felon) pic.twitter.com/Dv9MKiII9Q

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) July 27, 2024

But Trump said on July 27, in a post on his Truth Social site, that he would continue to hold outdoor rallies and that he believed the Secret Service was capable of protecting him.

Minnesota has not chosen a Republican presidential candidate in 52 years, but it had seemed to move within reach in recent weeks as Mr Biden's poll numbers dipped following his disastrous June 27 debate performance.

After Mr Biden's exit on July 21, however, Ms Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American to serve as vice-president, swiftly consolidated Democratic support.

Her rise has reenergised a campaign that had faltered badly amid Democrats' doubts about Mr Biden's chances of defeating Trump, 78, or his ability to continue to govern should he succeed.

Ms Harris raised more than US$100 million (S$130 million) in the 36 hours after Mr Biden's departure. A July 27 fund-raiser brought in more than US$1.4 million from some 800 attendees, her campaign said.

Ms Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, a gun safety group with about 10 million members, told MSNBC on July 27 that more than 200,000 people joined a Zoom call on July 25 to build support for Ms Harris among white women, raising over US$11 million.

Trump and Mr Vance, 39, have attempted to tie Ms Harris to what they say is the Biden administration's failure to corral high inflation and stem a surge of migrants at the southern border with Mexico. Republicans have also portrayed Ms Harris as more liberal and extreme than Mr Biden.

Trump's rally on July 27 follows his remarks at a conservative gathering on July 26, when he told Christians that if they vote for him in November, "in four years, you don't have to vote again. We'll have it fixed so good, you're not gonna have to vote."

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It was not clear what the former president meant by his comments, but Democrats immediately seized on them as evidence that he remains a threat to democracy four years after his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat led to the attack on the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021.

Trump was scheduled to host a fund-raiser in Nashville prior to his remarks at the conference, with tickets ranging from US$60,000 to over US$800,000 per person. Donors were able to contribute via digital currency as well, according to an event invitation.