Harris raises $27M in New York fundraiser, promises economic speech this week
Vice President Kamala Harris raised $27 million at a packed fundraiser in New York City. (Photo: PTI)
Vice President Kamala Harris raised $27 million Sunday at a packed fundraiser in New York City, her largest fundraiser since ousting President Joe Biden, a Harris campaign official said.
While Harris has far more money than former President Donald Trump, the cash will be needed to compete with expensive advertising campaigns from financially strong outside groups supporting Trump, said the aide, who asked not to be identified to discuss the private fundraising.
The blockbuster fundraiser was held at Cipriani Wall Street in a vast Greek-style ballroom with more than a dozen columns. Much of the crowd stood shoulder to shoulder as Harris teased Trump for refusing to debate her again.
My opponent seems to be looking for an excuse, Harris told the crowd. I feel very strongly that we owe it to the American people, to the voters, to meet one more time before Election Day.”
She reiterated that later, when she landed outside Washington, to reporters: We have more to discuss.
Trump has rejected further debates, saying Saturday it was simply too late.
Voting has already begun, he said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. Voters cast their first in-person ballots last week in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, the states with the first early in-person voting options. About a dozen other states will follow suit by mid-October.
Harris also said she would deliver a speech Wednesday outlining her economic vision, saying we can do more to invest in the aspirations and ambitions of the American people while addressing the challenges they face.
As examples, she cited the high costs of buying a house and the persistently high grocery bills.
I grew up as a middle-class kid and I will never forget where I came from, she said.
By laying out her economic agenda in more detail, Harris could tackle an issue that is important to voters after prices soared during Biden’s presidency and distance herself from the president’s economic record. Trump has criticized her for being slow to release detailed policy proposals of her own since she rose to the top of the ticket.
Harris has said she would push for tax cuts for the middle class and tax increases for the wealthy and corporations, and she has accepted Trump’s proposal to end the tip tax, though she would limit her plan to low- and middle-income taxpayers. She has also criticized Trump’s plan to impose steep tariffs on most imported goods, which she said would significantly increase the cost of goods.
Neither Harris nor Trump has a decisive lead among the public on economic issues, according to the latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll suggests Harris is gaining ground on an issue that was once a clear strength for Trump.
About 4 in 10 registered voters say Republican Trump would do a better job on the economy, while a similar share say the same about the Democratic vice president, the poll found. About 1 in 10 voters trust neither candidate, and a similar share have equal confidence in them.
The new poll shows that about 8 in 10 voters consider the economy to be one of the most important issues when choosing which candidate to support, outpacing other important issues such as health care and crime.
Harris has backtracked on liberal positions she took during her failed 2020 presidential campaign, including proposals to ban fracking, establish universal health care and decriminalize illegal border crossings.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been edited by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First publication: Sep 23, 2024 | 08:10 AM IST