Republicans have claimed the political high ground in the government shutdown fight, and have not been afraid to poke fun at the Democrats in the process. But their meme-filled campaign risks coming off as too callous, some fear, handing Democrats the upper hand and potentially alienating voters this November and next year’s midterm elections. This

President Donald Trump is projecting political confidence as lawmakers on Capitol Hill battle over a government funding extension, mocking Democratic leadership online, including at times, with artificially generated videos. Trump has been relatively even-keeled in person, but on social media, he has expressed apparent amusement as he and congressional Republicans pressure Democrats over the shutdown. The White

President Donald Trump is charging forward with a wave of drug pricing initiatives as Republicans seek to dismantle Democrats’ justification to shut down the government over healthcare demands. As Democrats have dug their heels in over an extension of Obamacare insurance premium tax credits to give their support for a government funding patch, with funding

The White House and congressional Republicans are capitalizing on Democrats’ demands to help illegal immigrants access public services to blame them for a looming government shutdown. “Radical Democrats” are threatening to shut the government down if they do not get their almost $1.5 trillion wish list of demands in a short-term funding deal, “including free

Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and his Republican counterpart Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) have agreed to debate on Oct. 1 on CBS in New York City.

“See you on October 1, JD.,” Walz posted on X on Wednesday.

A day later, Vance similarly posted that he had agreed to CBS’ terms, adding his desire for a second debate between the pair.

“The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already,” he wrote. “Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!”

Vance and former President Donald Trump‘s campaign were originally skeptical of negotiating a debate after Harris initially accepted CBS’ invitation for a July or August head-to-head before Trump had even announced his running mate.

“Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote last month during the Republican National Convention. “There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party — namely Barack Hussein Obama — that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’”

“Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds,” he went on.

Walz and Vance have traded barbs since Harris announced Walz as her second in command last week, particularly over insistences regarding the governor’s 24 years of service in the National Guard.

“These guys are attacking me for my record of service,” Walz told the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Convention this week in Los Angeles. “Let me be clear, I am damn proud of my service to our country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s record of service. To anyone brave enough to put on the uniform of our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

Harris and Trump have settled on Sept. 10 on ABC for their debate after their negotiations were carried on in public and private.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“He won’t debate, but he and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me,” Harris told a crowd last month in Atlanta. “Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”

“I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight,” Trump said last week during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

2024-08-15 13:58:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3121970%2Fwalz-vance-vice-presidential-debate%2F?w=600&h=450, Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and his Republican counterpart Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) have agreed to debate on Oct. 1 on CBS in New York City. “See you on October 1, JD.,” Walz posted on X on Wednesday. See you on October 1, JD. https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9 — Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 14, 2024,

Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and his Republican counterpart Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) have agreed to debate on Oct. 1 on CBS in New York City.

“See you on October 1, JD.,” Walz posted on X on Wednesday.

A day later, Vance similarly posted that he had agreed to CBS’ terms, adding his desire for a second debate between the pair.

“The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already,” he wrote. “Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!”

Vance and former President Donald Trump‘s campaign were originally skeptical of negotiating a debate after Harris initially accepted CBS’ invitation for a July or August head-to-head before Trump had even announced his running mate.

“Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote last month during the Republican National Convention. “There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party — namely Barack Hussein Obama — that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’”

“Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds,” he went on.

Walz and Vance have traded barbs since Harris announced Walz as her second in command last week, particularly over insistences regarding the governor’s 24 years of service in the National Guard.

“These guys are attacking me for my record of service,” Walz told the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Convention this week in Los Angeles. “Let me be clear, I am damn proud of my service to our country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s record of service. To anyone brave enough to put on the uniform of our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

Harris and Trump have settled on Sept. 10 on ABC for their debate after their negotiations were carried on in public and private.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“He won’t debate, but he and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me,” Harris told a crowd last month in Atlanta. “Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”

“I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight,” Trump said last week during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

, Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and his Republican counterpart Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) have agreed to debate on Oct. 1 on CBS in New York City. “See you on October 1, JD.,” Walz posted on X on Wednesday. See you on October 1, JD. https://t.co/ssi0FdseN9 — Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) August 14, 2024 A day later, Vance similarly posted that he had agreed to CBS’ terms, adding his desire for a second debate between the pair. “The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already,” he wrote. “Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both!” The American people deserve as many debates as possible, which is why President Trump has challenged Kamala to three of them already. Not only do I accept the CBS debate on October 1st, I accept the CNN debate on September 18th as well. I look forward to seeing you at both! https://t.co/63FyI99dKU — JD Vance (@JDVance) August 15, 2024 Vance and former President Donald Trump‘s campaign were originally skeptical of negotiating a debate after Harris initially accepted CBS’ invitation for a July or August head-to-head before Trump had even announced his running mate. “Given the continued political chaos surrounding Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrat Party, general election debate details cannot be finalized until Democrats formally decide on their nominee,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote last month during the Republican National Convention. “There is a strong sense by many in the Democrat Party — namely Barack Hussein Obama — that Kamala Harris is a Marxist fraud who cannot beat President Trump, and they are still holding out for someone ‘better.’” “Therefore, it would be inappropriate to schedule things with Harris because Democrats very well could still change their minds,” he went on. Walz and Vance have traded barbs since Harris announced Walz as her second in command last week, particularly over insistences regarding the governor’s 24 years of service in the National Guard. “These guys are attacking me for my record of service,” Walz told the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Convention this week in Los Angeles. “Let me be clear, I am damn proud of my service to our country. And I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s record of service. To anyone brave enough to put on the uniform of our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice.” Harris and Trump have settled on Sept. 10 on ABC for their debate after their negotiations were carried on in public and private. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER “He won’t debate, but he and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me,” Harris told a crowd last month in Atlanta. “Well, Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.” “I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight,” Trump said last week during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/walz-vance-diptych.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Naomi Lim,

EXCLUSIVE — A Republican group investigating Democratic fundraising operations said it has discovered thousands of instances of potential donor fraud and has turned over its findings to GOP prosecutors.

The Fair Election Fund, a national election integrity watchdog group that former House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins helped launch in May, is alleging it has found more than 60,000 potential discrepancies in donations made to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign through ActBlue, a nonprofit organization that provides Democrats with a fundraising platform.

During its investigation, conducted from late July to early August, the Fair Election Fund identified 60,000 people who were named as small-dollar donors in the Biden-Harris campaign’s July Federal Election Commission report but did not recall making the contribution when contacted by the Fair Election Fund.

“Fighting for fair elections means a lot more than just ensuring the American people can have confidence in the voting process, and that’s why the Fair Election Fund is expanding to this new frontier of election integrity,” Collins, a former Georgia congressman, told the Washington Examiner. “If the Democrat money machine is secretly stealing the identities of unsuspecting Americans in order to launder money to Kamala Harris, then it will be the biggest scandal in modern presidential history and the perpetrators will be held accountable.”

“We must get to the bottom of these irregularities to give the public peace of mind that the fundraising landscape in this election is free from fraud and we will not rest until we do,” he said.

ActBlue did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. The Washington Examiner has also reached out to the Harris campaign.

The Fair Election Fund, which spent $250,000 on these initial findings, will continue vetting Biden-Harris donors in the coming weeks but has already shared information regarding verified leads to Republican attorneys general for their own investigations, including Steve Marshall, the attorney general of Alabama.

“We are grateful to Fair Election Fund for sharing these concerning findings with us, as we explore whether any of our constituents have been defrauded by ActBlue,” Marshall told the Washington Examiner. “Any donor fraud whatsoever compromises the fairness of our elections and cannot be tolerated. Our republic depends upon Americans trusting the electoral process and we will aggressively pursue any lead that threatens to undermine public confidence.”

Attorneys General Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Jason Miyares of Virginia, and Ken Paxton of Texas have been contacted by the Fair Election Fund as well.

“My office takes election integrity very seriously,” Paxton told the Washington Examiner. “We are actively monitoring various allegations of fraud across many related issues, and we will evaluate this information quickly with every effort to uphold the law.”

Paxton’s own investigation into ActBlue resulted in the organization this month starting to require a CVV code for credit card donations.

Miyares similarly sent a letter to ActBlue this month regarding what he described as “hundreds of thousands of dollars of contributions through individual donors in the Commonwealth in volumes that are facially implausible and appear suspicious.”

“Taken together, these circumstances appear to indicate that contributions via ActBlue are being made from fictional donors or dummy accounts, or that information reported by or through ActBlue may be fraudulent,” Miyares wrote. “Alternatively, these circumstances may indicate that contributions via ActBlue are being made without the reported donors’ consent or awareness. Accordingly, these contributions and ActBlue’s facilitation thereof may violate multiple provisions of Virginia charitable and criminal law.”

Some of the responses the Fair Election Fund received when it contacted Biden-Harris donors during its investigation included:

• “I didn’t know how to send a donation.”
• “I don’t give money out for any political reason.”
• “I don’t have money to donate to any campaign.”
• “I have changed credit cards though because of fraudulent charges. “
• “I have never and will never donate.”
• “Never authorized anything for anyone’s campaign.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

As part of an expanded investigation, the Fair Election Fund plans to also probe why ActBlue did not have certain security protocols and donor verification processes until recently, including not having the CVV code requirement for credit card contributions. 

The Fair Election Fund has promised to spend more than $5 million in 2024 to counter election fraud, including through its whistleblower protection fund and campaigns against election officials such as one in North Carolina against three Democrats on the state’s elections board who declined to certify ballot access for independent candidate Cornel West’s presidential campaign.

2024-08-14 01:19:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3120079%2Factblue-donor-fraud-investigation-biden-harris-campaign%2F?w=600&h=450, EXCLUSIVE — A Republican group investigating Democratic fundraising operations said it has discovered thousands of instances of potential donor fraud and has turned over its findings to GOP prosecutors. The Fair Election Fund, a national election integrity watchdog group that former House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins helped launch in May, is alleging it,

EXCLUSIVE — A Republican group investigating Democratic fundraising operations said it has discovered thousands of instances of potential donor fraud and has turned over its findings to GOP prosecutors.

The Fair Election Fund, a national election integrity watchdog group that former House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins helped launch in May, is alleging it has found more than 60,000 potential discrepancies in donations made to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign through ActBlue, a nonprofit organization that provides Democrats with a fundraising platform.

During its investigation, conducted from late July to early August, the Fair Election Fund identified 60,000 people who were named as small-dollar donors in the Biden-Harris campaign’s July Federal Election Commission report but did not recall making the contribution when contacted by the Fair Election Fund.

“Fighting for fair elections means a lot more than just ensuring the American people can have confidence in the voting process, and that’s why the Fair Election Fund is expanding to this new frontier of election integrity,” Collins, a former Georgia congressman, told the Washington Examiner. “If the Democrat money machine is secretly stealing the identities of unsuspecting Americans in order to launder money to Kamala Harris, then it will be the biggest scandal in modern presidential history and the perpetrators will be held accountable.”

“We must get to the bottom of these irregularities to give the public peace of mind that the fundraising landscape in this election is free from fraud and we will not rest until we do,” he said.

ActBlue did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. The Washington Examiner has also reached out to the Harris campaign.

The Fair Election Fund, which spent $250,000 on these initial findings, will continue vetting Biden-Harris donors in the coming weeks but has already shared information regarding verified leads to Republican attorneys general for their own investigations, including Steve Marshall, the attorney general of Alabama.

“We are grateful to Fair Election Fund for sharing these concerning findings with us, as we explore whether any of our constituents have been defrauded by ActBlue,” Marshall told the Washington Examiner. “Any donor fraud whatsoever compromises the fairness of our elections and cannot be tolerated. Our republic depends upon Americans trusting the electoral process and we will aggressively pursue any lead that threatens to undermine public confidence.”

Attorneys General Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Jason Miyares of Virginia, and Ken Paxton of Texas have been contacted by the Fair Election Fund as well.

“My office takes election integrity very seriously,” Paxton told the Washington Examiner. “We are actively monitoring various allegations of fraud across many related issues, and we will evaluate this information quickly with every effort to uphold the law.”

Paxton’s own investigation into ActBlue resulted in the organization this month starting to require a CVV code for credit card donations.

Miyares similarly sent a letter to ActBlue this month regarding what he described as “hundreds of thousands of dollars of contributions through individual donors in the Commonwealth in volumes that are facially implausible and appear suspicious.”

“Taken together, these circumstances appear to indicate that contributions via ActBlue are being made from fictional donors or dummy accounts, or that information reported by or through ActBlue may be fraudulent,” Miyares wrote. “Alternatively, these circumstances may indicate that contributions via ActBlue are being made without the reported donors’ consent or awareness. Accordingly, these contributions and ActBlue’s facilitation thereof may violate multiple provisions of Virginia charitable and criminal law.”

Some of the responses the Fair Election Fund received when it contacted Biden-Harris donors during its investigation included:

• “I didn’t know how to send a donation.”
• “I don’t give money out for any political reason.”
• “I don’t have money to donate to any campaign.”
• “I have changed credit cards though because of fraudulent charges. “
• “I have never and will never donate.”
• “Never authorized anything for anyone’s campaign.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

As part of an expanded investigation, the Fair Election Fund plans to also probe why ActBlue did not have certain security protocols and donor verification processes until recently, including not having the CVV code requirement for credit card contributions. 

The Fair Election Fund has promised to spend more than $5 million in 2024 to counter election fraud, including through its whistleblower protection fund and campaigns against election officials such as one in North Carolina against three Democrats on the state’s elections board who declined to certify ballot access for independent candidate Cornel West’s presidential campaign.

, EXCLUSIVE — A Republican group investigating Democratic fundraising operations said it has discovered thousands of instances of potential donor fraud and has turned over its findings to GOP prosecutors. The Fair Election Fund, a national election integrity watchdog group that former House Judiciary Committee ranking member Doug Collins helped launch in May, is alleging it has found more than 60,000 potential discrepancies in donations made to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris‘s campaign through ActBlue, a nonprofit organization that provides Democrats with a fundraising platform. During its investigation, conducted from late July to early August, the Fair Election Fund identified 60,000 people who were named as small-dollar donors in the Biden-Harris campaign’s July Federal Election Commission report but did not recall making the contribution when contacted by the Fair Election Fund. “Fighting for fair elections means a lot more than just ensuring the American people can have confidence in the voting process, and that’s why the Fair Election Fund is expanding to this new frontier of election integrity,” Collins, a former Georgia congressman, told the Washington Examiner. “If the Democrat money machine is secretly stealing the identities of unsuspecting Americans in order to launder money to Kamala Harris, then it will be the biggest scandal in modern presidential history and the perpetrators will be held accountable.” “We must get to the bottom of these irregularities to give the public peace of mind that the fundraising landscape in this election is free from fraud and we will not rest until we do,” he said. ActBlue did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment. The Washington Examiner has also reached out to the Harris campaign. The Fair Election Fund, which spent $250,000 on these initial findings, will continue vetting Biden-Harris donors in the coming weeks but has already shared information regarding verified leads to Republican attorneys general for their own investigations, including Steve Marshall, the attorney general of Alabama. “We are grateful to Fair Election Fund for sharing these concerning findings with us, as we explore whether any of our constituents have been defrauded by ActBlue,” Marshall told the Washington Examiner. “Any donor fraud whatsoever compromises the fairness of our elections and cannot be tolerated. Our republic depends upon Americans trusting the electoral process and we will aggressively pursue any lead that threatens to undermine public confidence.” Attorneys General Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, Kris Kobach of Kansas, Jason Miyares of Virginia, and Ken Paxton of Texas have been contacted by the Fair Election Fund as well. “My office takes election integrity very seriously,” Paxton told the Washington Examiner. “We are actively monitoring various allegations of fraud across many related issues, and we will evaluate this information quickly with every effort to uphold the law.” Paxton’s own investigation into ActBlue resulted in the organization this month starting to require a CVV code for credit card donations. New: Texas’s Ongoing Investigation Into Act­Blue Yields Coop­er­a­tion On Donor Credit Card Identification In December 2023, we opened an investigation into the major fundraising platform ActBlue to determine whether their operations are compliant with all applicable laws.… https://t.co/PaxCeUKD2v — Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) August 8, 2024 Miyares similarly sent a letter to ActBlue this month regarding what he described as “hundreds of thousands of dollars of contributions through individual donors in the Commonwealth in volumes that are facially implausible and appear suspicious.” “Taken together, these circumstances appear to indicate that contributions via ActBlue are being made from fictional donors or dummy accounts, or that information reported by or through ActBlue may be fraudulent,” Miyares wrote. “Alternatively, these circumstances may indicate that contributions via ActBlue are being made without the reported donors’ consent or awareness. Accordingly, these contributions and ActBlue’s facilitation thereof may violate multiple provisions of Virginia charitable and criminal law.” Some of the responses the Fair Election Fund received when it contacted Biden-Harris donors during its investigation included: “I didn’t know how to send a donation.” “I don’t give money out for any political reason.” “I don’t have money to donate to any campaign.” “I have changed credit cards though because of fraudulent charges. “ “I have never and will never donate.” “Never authorized anything for anyone’s campaign.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER As part of an expanded investigation, the Fair Election Fund plans to also probe why ActBlue did not have certain security protocols and donor verification processes until recently, including not having the CVV code requirement for credit card contributions.  The Fair Election Fund has promised to spend more than $5 million in 2024 to counter election fraud, including through its whistleblower protection fund and campaigns against election officials such as one in North Carolina against three Democrats on the state’s elections board who declined to certify ballot access for independent candidate Cornel West’s presidential campaign., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Joe-Biden-swap.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Naomi Lim,

Vice President Kamala Harris picking Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate is the most important decision she has made since becoming the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.

Her decision underscores her desire to present the public with a biographically, geographically, and ideologically balanced ticket. It also shows she wants to have a campaign partner with whom she has personal rapport should they win November’s election and need to become governing partners.

Despite the possibility of popular Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) helping her win Pennsylvania, Harris decided to tap Walz, who has been described by Democrats, including an adviser to President Joe Biden, as a “blast.” The pick echoes former President Barack Obama‘s decision to choose Biden as his running mate in 2008, not only because of the balance of considerations regarding their respective backgrounds and experiences but also because of the public perception there was a camaraderie between the two men.

“When a presidential candidate chooses a running mate, it says a lot about who they are and what kind of president they’ll be,” Obama wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for.”

Former Obama White House spokesman Eric Schultz sidestepped any comparisons among Obama, Biden, Harris, and Walz, but did describe Walz as “the perfect complement to the vice president.”

“We now have a ticket that hails from urban and rural areas,” Schultz told the Washington Examiner. “He represented a red district in Congress, has wide appeal in the Midwest, and has a strong record of working with Republicans to get things done. He’s as likable and relatable as they come.”

Despite his relatively low national political profile, Walz made his mark on the very short vice presidential selection process with his plainspokenness. He was the one who started dismissing former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as “weird.”

During the White Dudes for Harris Zoom call last week, Walz also referred to Trump as a “bastard.”

“How often in 100 days do you change the trajectory of the world?” Walz said. “How often do you get to do something that will impact generations to come? Make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a black woman kicked his ass and sent him on the road.”

Even Obama, whose former White House and campaign aides have also been hired by Harris’s team, alluded to Walz’s manner of speaking in his statement.

“Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect,” Obama wrote.

Regardless of Walz’s low name recognition, he is likely to “do no harm” to the Harris campaign, in addition to being “unlikely to overshadow Harris in her historic bid,” according to Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos amid reporting that Shapiro’s own presidential aspirations undermined his vice presidential candidacy.

“One good thing about lack of familiarity with Walz is that there is not an extant reservoir of negative views to combat,” Panagopoulos told the Washington Examiner. “The challenge for Democrats is to hurry to define him favorably before Republican attacks can tarnish his image.”

Republicans have already embarked on that endeavor, with Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt criticizing Walz as a “West Coast wannabe” who has “spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” Harris’s home state.

“From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide,” Leavitt wrote in a statement similar to ones she has disseminated regarding “San Francisco liberal” Harris. “If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare.”

Claremont McKenna College politics professor and former Republican operative John Pitney quipped that “whiskey companies should encourage a drinking game where everybody takes a swig every time a Republican goes on TV and says ‘liberal’ or ‘left-wing.’”

“Their stocks will soar,” Pitney told the Washington Examiner.

“Expect many mentions of the George Floyd riots,” he said of the 2020 racial justice unrest that started in Minnesota after Floyd’s police-caused death. “The attacks on Walz’s liberalism will appeal to the GOP base, but it is not clear that they will sway the small sliver of swing voters who will decide the election. Walz comes across as an old high school football coach, which he is.”

To that end, although the Harris campaign has sought to distance her from the more liberal positions she ran on during her 2020 Democratic primary bid, more liberal Democrats have welcomed her decision regarding Walz.

“Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people.”

“The selection of Tim Walz as the vice presidential nominee is a clear indication that the Harris campaign is listening to the voices of progressives across the country,” added Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese, who leads the pro-Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) political action group.

Republicans have already scrutinized Harris’s decision regarding Walz as another instance of her kowtowing to more liberal Democrats who protested Shapiro’s vice presidential candidacy over his stances concerning Israel and Palestinians amid the war with Hamas in Gaza with their own “No Genocide Josh” campaign. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has adopted a similar posture toward the war as the other contenders.

At the same time, Republicans have welcomed Harris’s decision regarding Walz because polling indicates her path to 270 Electoral College votes and the presidency appears to run through Pennsylvania and the so-called blue wall.

“Pennsylvania is undoubtedly in play, regardless of [the] VP choice,” Franklin & Marshall College Center for Opinion Research Director Berwood Yost told the Washington Examiner. “VP picks don’t usually mean much in terms of vote shares, but I did think Shapiro brought specific attributes to the race that could have helped her in the state.”

But Panagopoulos, of Northeastern University, contended Walz could “attract moderates, independents, and possibly even appeal to Republican voters who may have reservations about Harris, especially in crucial, upper Midwest and Rust Belt states.”

“He may not be from a must-win swing state, but he’ll certainly appeal to some voters who live in those states,” he said. “It’s doubtful this decision was made willy-nilly without careful consideration of all sorts of factors. Walz clearly had the right mix of advantages in the Harris campaign’s view.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), for one, endorsed Harris’s decision regarding Walz, arguing he will “bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen,” a possible signal related to a Harris-Walz administration.

“I can think of no one better than Governor Walz to help bring our country closer together and bring balance to the Democratic Party,” Manchin wrote. “Governor Walz is the real deal.”

Walz, 60, was born in Nebraska, where he enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17 and served for more than two decades, rising to the rank of command sergeant major. After working in manufacturing, he earned a degree in social studies education and became a high school teacher and football coach following a year teaching abroad in China.

Walz and his wife Gwen, a fellow teacher, later returned to her home state of Minnesota. There, he ran for Congress and was elected to represent Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, a largely rural and agricultural district in the southern part of the North Star State, during the “quasi-Democratic wave year” of 2006, according to Eric Ostermeier, Smart Politics founder and Minnesota Historical Election Archive curator.

Walz won that race against a six-term incumbent, former Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht, by campaigning as more of a centrist Democrat compared to how he has governed Minnesota since 2017, per Ostermeier.

“Walz was able to nimbly maintain his seat in a competitive, Republican-leaning district, eking out multiple single-digit victories, and then pivot to be seen as a more progressive politician during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign where he had to solidify some progressive support in a competitive Democratic primary,” Ostermeier told the Washington Examiner. “Walz followed that up by signing almost all of the policies sent to his desk from the narrowly Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023 to solidify his progressive bonafides.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

What has not changed about Walz, “is his ‘everyman’ approach and demeanor when being interviewed, talking with citizens, or giving speeches,” Ostermeier continued.

“In short, he has governed like a progressive without coming across as elitist or ideologically strident as some of his colleagues,” Ostermeier said. “By selecting Walz, the Harris campaign will look to seize upon his positive energy and hope that he can use his rhetorical skills adeptly to both assure Americans he is not as far Left as the Republican ticket will portray by highlighting the progressive bills he has signed into law as ‘common-sense’ reforms, and also point out to the Democratic base that he has nonetheless been an ally in many of their causes.”

2024-08-06 21:38:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3111856%2Fwhat-harris-walz-says-about-campaign%2F?w=600&h=450, Vice President Kamala Harris picking Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate is the most important decision she has made since becoming the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. Her decision underscores her desire to present the public with a biographically, geographically, and ideologically balanced ticket. It also shows she wants to have a campaign,

Vice President Kamala Harris picking Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate is the most important decision she has made since becoming the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee.

Her decision underscores her desire to present the public with a biographically, geographically, and ideologically balanced ticket. It also shows she wants to have a campaign partner with whom she has personal rapport should they win November’s election and need to become governing partners.

Despite the possibility of popular Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) helping her win Pennsylvania, Harris decided to tap Walz, who has been described by Democrats, including an adviser to President Joe Biden, as a “blast.” The pick echoes former President Barack Obama‘s decision to choose Biden as his running mate in 2008, not only because of the balance of considerations regarding their respective backgrounds and experiences but also because of the public perception there was a camaraderie between the two men.

“When a presidential candidate chooses a running mate, it says a lot about who they are and what kind of president they’ll be,” Obama wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for.”

Former Obama White House spokesman Eric Schultz sidestepped any comparisons among Obama, Biden, Harris, and Walz, but did describe Walz as “the perfect complement to the vice president.”

“We now have a ticket that hails from urban and rural areas,” Schultz told the Washington Examiner. “He represented a red district in Congress, has wide appeal in the Midwest, and has a strong record of working with Republicans to get things done. He’s as likable and relatable as they come.”

Despite his relatively low national political profile, Walz made his mark on the very short vice presidential selection process with his plainspokenness. He was the one who started dismissing former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as “weird.”

During the White Dudes for Harris Zoom call last week, Walz also referred to Trump as a “bastard.”

“How often in 100 days do you change the trajectory of the world?” Walz said. “How often do you get to do something that will impact generations to come? Make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a black woman kicked his ass and sent him on the road.”

Even Obama, whose former White House and campaign aides have also been hired by Harris’s team, alluded to Walz’s manner of speaking in his statement.

“Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect,” Obama wrote.

Regardless of Walz’s low name recognition, he is likely to “do no harm” to the Harris campaign, in addition to being “unlikely to overshadow Harris in her historic bid,” according to Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos amid reporting that Shapiro’s own presidential aspirations undermined his vice presidential candidacy.

“One good thing about lack of familiarity with Walz is that there is not an extant reservoir of negative views to combat,” Panagopoulos told the Washington Examiner. “The challenge for Democrats is to hurry to define him favorably before Republican attacks can tarnish his image.”

Republicans have already embarked on that endeavor, with Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt criticizing Walz as a “West Coast wannabe” who has “spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” Harris’s home state.

“From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide,” Leavitt wrote in a statement similar to ones she has disseminated regarding “San Francisco liberal” Harris. “If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare.”

Claremont McKenna College politics professor and former Republican operative John Pitney quipped that “whiskey companies should encourage a drinking game where everybody takes a swig every time a Republican goes on TV and says ‘liberal’ or ‘left-wing.’”

“Their stocks will soar,” Pitney told the Washington Examiner.

“Expect many mentions of the George Floyd riots,” he said of the 2020 racial justice unrest that started in Minnesota after Floyd’s police-caused death. “The attacks on Walz’s liberalism will appeal to the GOP base, but it is not clear that they will sway the small sliver of swing voters who will decide the election. Walz comes across as an old high school football coach, which he is.”

To that end, although the Harris campaign has sought to distance her from the more liberal positions she ran on during her 2020 Democratic primary bid, more liberal Democrats have welcomed her decision regarding Walz.

“Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people.”

“The selection of Tim Walz as the vice presidential nominee is a clear indication that the Harris campaign is listening to the voices of progressives across the country,” added Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese, who leads the pro-Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) political action group.

Republicans have already scrutinized Harris’s decision regarding Walz as another instance of her kowtowing to more liberal Democrats who protested Shapiro’s vice presidential candidacy over his stances concerning Israel and Palestinians amid the war with Hamas in Gaza with their own “No Genocide Josh” campaign. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has adopted a similar posture toward the war as the other contenders.

At the same time, Republicans have welcomed Harris’s decision regarding Walz because polling indicates her path to 270 Electoral College votes and the presidency appears to run through Pennsylvania and the so-called blue wall.

“Pennsylvania is undoubtedly in play, regardless of [the] VP choice,” Franklin & Marshall College Center for Opinion Research Director Berwood Yost told the Washington Examiner. “VP picks don’t usually mean much in terms of vote shares, but I did think Shapiro brought specific attributes to the race that could have helped her in the state.”

But Panagopoulos, of Northeastern University, contended Walz could “attract moderates, independents, and possibly even appeal to Republican voters who may have reservations about Harris, especially in crucial, upper Midwest and Rust Belt states.”

“He may not be from a must-win swing state, but he’ll certainly appeal to some voters who live in those states,” he said. “It’s doubtful this decision was made willy-nilly without careful consideration of all sorts of factors. Walz clearly had the right mix of advantages in the Harris campaign’s view.”

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), for one, endorsed Harris’s decision regarding Walz, arguing he will “bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen,” a possible signal related to a Harris-Walz administration.

“I can think of no one better than Governor Walz to help bring our country closer together and bring balance to the Democratic Party,” Manchin wrote. “Governor Walz is the real deal.”

Walz, 60, was born in Nebraska, where he enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17 and served for more than two decades, rising to the rank of command sergeant major. After working in manufacturing, he earned a degree in social studies education and became a high school teacher and football coach following a year teaching abroad in China.

Walz and his wife Gwen, a fellow teacher, later returned to her home state of Minnesota. There, he ran for Congress and was elected to represent Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, a largely rural and agricultural district in the southern part of the North Star State, during the “quasi-Democratic wave year” of 2006, according to Eric Ostermeier, Smart Politics founder and Minnesota Historical Election Archive curator.

Walz won that race against a six-term incumbent, former Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht, by campaigning as more of a centrist Democrat compared to how he has governed Minnesota since 2017, per Ostermeier.

“Walz was able to nimbly maintain his seat in a competitive, Republican-leaning district, eking out multiple single-digit victories, and then pivot to be seen as a more progressive politician during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign where he had to solidify some progressive support in a competitive Democratic primary,” Ostermeier told the Washington Examiner. “Walz followed that up by signing almost all of the policies sent to his desk from the narrowly Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023 to solidify his progressive bonafides.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

What has not changed about Walz, “is his ‘everyman’ approach and demeanor when being interviewed, talking with citizens, or giving speeches,” Ostermeier continued.

“In short, he has governed like a progressive without coming across as elitist or ideologically strident as some of his colleagues,” Ostermeier said. “By selecting Walz, the Harris campaign will look to seize upon his positive energy and hope that he can use his rhetorical skills adeptly to both assure Americans he is not as far Left as the Republican ticket will portray by highlighting the progressive bills he has signed into law as ‘common-sense’ reforms, and also point out to the Democratic base that he has nonetheless been an ally in many of their causes.”

, Vice President Kamala Harris picking Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate is the most important decision she has made since becoming the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. Her decision underscores her desire to present the public with a biographically, geographically, and ideologically balanced ticket. It also shows she wants to have a campaign partner with whom she has personal rapport should they win November’s election and need to become governing partners. Despite the possibility of popular Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) helping her win Pennsylvania, Harris decided to tap Walz, who has been described by Democrats, including an adviser to President Joe Biden, as a “blast.” The pick echoes former President Barack Obama‘s decision to choose Biden as his running mate in 2008, not only because of the balance of considerations regarding their respective backgrounds and experiences but also because of the public perception there was a camaraderie between the two men. “When a presidential candidate chooses a running mate, it says a lot about who they are and what kind of president they’ll be,” Obama wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “By selecting Tim Walz to be her vice president from a pool of outstanding Democrats, Kamala Harris has chosen an ideal partner — and made it clear exactly what she stands for.” Like Vice President Harris, Governor @Tim_Walz believes that government works to serve us. Not just some of us, but all of us. That’s what makes him an outstanding governor, and that’s what will make him an even better vice president. Michelle and I couldn’t be happier for Tim… pic.twitter.com/s0RmVs7bGL — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 6, 2024 Former Obama White House spokesman Eric Schultz sidestepped any comparisons among Obama, Biden, Harris, and Walz, but did describe Walz as “the perfect complement to the vice president.” “We now have a ticket that hails from urban and rural areas,” Schultz told the Washington Examiner. “He represented a red district in Congress, has wide appeal in the Midwest, and has a strong record of working with Republicans to get things done. He’s as likable and relatable as they come.” Despite his relatively low national political profile, Walz made his mark on the very short vice presidential selection process with his plainspokenness. He was the one who started dismissing former President Donald Trump and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as “weird.” During the White Dudes for Harris Zoom call last week, Walz also referred to Trump as a “bastard.” “How often in 100 days do you change the trajectory of the world?” Walz said. “How often do you get to do something that will impact generations to come? Make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a black woman kicked his ass and sent him on the road.” “How often in 100 days do you get to change the trajectory of the world? And how often in the world do you make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a Black woman kicked his ass and sent him on the road?” –@Tim_Walz pic.twitter.com/NrjYBfZ4nU — David Hogg (@davidhogg111) July 30, 2024 Even Obama, whose former White House and campaign aides have also been hired by Harris’s team, alluded to Walz’s manner of speaking in his statement. “Tim’s signature is his ability to talk like a human being and treat everyone with decency and respect,” Obama wrote. Regardless of Walz’s low name recognition, he is likely to “do no harm” to the Harris campaign, in addition to being “unlikely to overshadow Harris in her historic bid,” according to Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos amid reporting that Shapiro’s own presidential aspirations undermined his vice presidential candidacy. “One good thing about lack of familiarity with Walz is that there is not an extant reservoir of negative views to combat,” Panagopoulos told the Washington Examiner. “The challenge for Democrats is to hurry to define him favorably before Republican attacks can tarnish his image.” Republicans have already embarked on that endeavor, with Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt criticizing Walz as a “West Coast wannabe” who has “spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State,” Harris’s home state. “From proposing his own carbon-free agenda, to suggesting stricter emission standards for gas-powered cars, and embracing policies to allow convicted felons to vote, Walz is obsessed with spreading California’s dangerously liberal agenda far and wide,” Leavitt wrote in a statement similar to ones she has disseminated regarding “San Francisco liberal” Harris. “If Walz won’t tell voters the truth, we will: just like Kamala Harris, Tim Walz is a dangerously liberal extremist, and the Harris-Walz California dream is every American’s nightmare.” Claremont McKenna College politics professor and former Republican operative John Pitney quipped that “whiskey companies should encourage a drinking game where everybody takes a swig every time a Republican goes on TV and says ‘liberal’ or ‘left-wing.’” “Their stocks will soar,” Pitney told the Washington Examiner. “Expect many mentions of the George Floyd riots,” he said of the 2020 racial justice unrest that started in Minnesota after Floyd’s police-caused death. “The attacks on Walz’s liberalism will appeal to the GOP base, but it is not clear that they will sway the small sliver of swing voters who will decide the election. Walz comes across as an old high school football coach, which he is.” To that end, although the Harris campaign has sought to distance her from the more liberal positions she ran on during her 2020 Democratic primary bid, more liberal Democrats have welcomed her decision regarding Walz. “Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wrote on social media on Tuesday. “Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people.” Vice President Harris made an excellent decision in Gov. Walz as her running mate. Together, they will govern effectively, inclusively, and boldly for the American people. They won’t back down under tight odds, either – from healthcare to school lunch. Let’s do this https://t.co/9vttVTC39Z — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 6, 2024 “The selection of Tim Walz as the vice presidential nominee is a clear indication that the Harris campaign is listening to the voices of progressives across the country,” added Our Revolution executive director Joseph Geevarghese, who leads the pro-Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) political action group. Kamala Harris chooses Tim Walz as VP!! “Governor Walz has a strong pro-labor record and has shown a dedication to working-class issues, tackling corporate influence, and policies that benefit the many, not the few,” said Our Rev Exec Director @JosephGeev. pic.twitter.com/KoLnsaUseT — Our Revolution (@OurRevolution) August 6, 2024 Republicans have already scrutinized Harris’s decision regarding Walz as another instance of her kowtowing to more liberal Democrats who protested Shapiro’s vice presidential candidacy over his stances concerning Israel and Palestinians amid the war with Hamas in Gaza with their own “No Genocide Josh” campaign. Shapiro, who is Jewish, has adopted a similar posture toward the war as the other contenders. At the same time, Republicans have welcomed Harris’s decision regarding Walz because polling indicates her path to 270 Electoral College votes and the presidency appears to run through Pennsylvania and the so-called blue wall. “Pennsylvania is undoubtedly in play, regardless of [the] VP choice,” Franklin & Marshall College Center for Opinion Research Director Berwood Yost told the Washington Examiner. “VP picks don’t usually mean much in terms of vote shares, but I did think Shapiro brought specific attributes to the race that could have helped her in the state.” But Panagopoulos, of Northeastern University, contended Walz could “attract moderates, independents, and possibly even appeal to Republican voters who may have reservations about Harris, especially in crucial, upper Midwest and Rust Belt states.” “He may not be from a must-win swing state, but he’ll certainly appeal to some voters who live in those states,” he said. “It’s doubtful this decision was made willy-nilly without careful consideration of all sorts of factors. Walz clearly had the right mix of advantages in the Harris campaign’s view.” Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV), for one, endorsed Harris’s decision regarding Walz, arguing he will “bring normality back to the most chaotic political environment that most of us have ever seen,” a possible signal related to a Harris-Walz administration. “I can think of no one better than Governor Walz to help bring our country closer together and bring balance to the Democratic Party,” Manchin wrote. “Governor Walz is the real deal.” My statement on Vice President Kamala Harris choosing Governor @Tim_Walz as her running mate: pic.twitter.com/bUON01Plsx — Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) August 6, 2024 Walz, 60, was born in Nebraska, where he enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was 17 and served for more than two decades, rising to the rank of command sergeant major. After working in manufacturing, he earned a degree in social studies education and became a high school teacher and football coach following a year teaching abroad in China. Walz and his wife Gwen, a fellow teacher, later returned to her home state of Minnesota. There, he ran for Congress and was elected to represent Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District, a largely rural and agricultural district in the southern part of the North Star State, during the “quasi-Democratic wave year” of 2006, according to Eric Ostermeier, Smart Politics founder and Minnesota Historical Election Archive curator. Walz won that race against a six-term incumbent, former Republican Rep. Gil Gutknecht, by campaigning as more of a centrist Democrat compared to how he has governed Minnesota since 2017, per Ostermeier. “Walz was able to nimbly maintain his seat in a competitive, Republican-leaning district, eking out multiple single-digit victories, and then pivot to be seen as a more progressive politician during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign where he had to solidify some progressive support in a competitive Democratic primary,” Ostermeier told the Washington Examiner. “Walz followed that up by signing almost all of the policies sent to his desk from the narrowly Democratic-controlled legislature in 2023 to solidify his progressive bonafides.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER What has not changed about Walz, “is his ‘everyman’ approach and demeanor when being interviewed, talking with citizens, or giving speeches,” Ostermeier continued. “In short, he has governed like a progressive without coming across as elitist or ideologically strident as some of his colleagues,” Ostermeier said. “By selecting Walz, the Harris campaign will look to seize upon his positive energy and hope that he can use his rhetorical skills adeptly to both assure Americans he is not as far Left as the Republican ticket will portray by highlighting the progressive bills he has signed into law as ‘common-sense’ reforms, and also point out to the Democratic base that he has nonetheless been an ally in many of their causes.”, , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/kamala-harris-tim-walz-first-rally.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Naomi Lim,

Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate, fewer than 100 days before the 2024 election and four years to the week that President Joe Biden tapped her to become his No. 2.

Harris’s choice, confirmed by the Associated Press, caps a truncated vetting process after Democrats quickly coalesced around Harris as their replacement nominee last month after Biden suspended his reelection campaign in response to party pressure to step aside over concerns about his age, mental acuity, and electoral prospects against former President Donald Trump.

Harris’s decision sets a tone for her campaign and possible administration.

Almost a dozen vice presidential candidates were reportedly vetted by former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder and one-time Biden White House counsel Dana Remus, but the top three contenders became Walz, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) after Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) withdrew his name from consideration. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as well as Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), were also said to be interviewed by Harris’s vetting team and the vice president herself.

Harris’s calculus was reportedly predicated on whether the presumptive vice presidential nominee could help her win before helping her govern, with the desire to avoid negative press like that generated by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) for the Trump campaign over his “childless cat ladies” comments. Harris’s husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and brother-in-law Tony West, who worked under Holder at the Obama Justice Department, were trusted advisers throughout.

Those supporting Shapiro, 51, who became Pennsylvania‘s governor in 2023 after serving as the commonwealth’s attorney general since 2017, contended he could help Harris win the Keystone State, whose 19 Electoral College votes will likely decide the contest. Harris can win Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin but will still not have the 270 electoral votes needed for the presidency.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, encountered a “No Genocide Josh” protest to his vice presidential candidacy despite having similar policy positions related to the Israel–Hamas war as the other contenders. He was additionally criticized for his lack of leadership after a 2018 sexual harassment complaint was made against a former aide. The staffer was on Shapiro’s payroll until last September when he resigned after the matter was settled.

Similarly to Shapiro, proponents of Kelly, 60, a former astronaut and Navy captain who was first elected to Congress in 2020, argued he could help Harris put Arizona back in play after Biden’s slippage with minority voters and on issues, including the economy and the border, in the Grand Canyon State. Kelly’s wife, ex-Rep. Gabby Giffords, almost died in a shooting during a constituent event in 2011, with the couple founding the gun control advocacy and research organization Giffords in the aftermath. Kelly came under scrutiny for Chinese venture capital investment in the spy balloon company he started and his delay in supporting the pro-labor union PRO Act.

Walz, 60, a former Army National Guardsman and social studies teacher before he ran for the House of Representatives in 2006, was thought to bring executive experience rather than a battleground state, having been Minnesota‘s governor since 2018. Folksy Midwestern Walz, who was favored by Biden, House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, was behind the Harris campaign beginning to undermine Trump and Vance as “weird,” with comparisons drawn between him and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton‘s running mate.

The same arguments were made for Cooper, 67, himself a two-term, term-limited governor. Cooper had the advantage of having a pre-existing relationship with Harris from when he was North Carolina‘s attorney general and she was his Californian counterpart. North Carolina was the state Trump won by the smallest margin over Biden in 2020, and the Harris campaign has projected confidence about it, regardless of polling that suggests otherwise.

“This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” Cooper posted on social media.

Harris and her vice presidential pick will now embark on a five-day, seven-state battleground tour, scheduled to start in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, to introduce themselves to the public and underscore what is at stake this election. He already has a Harris campaign chief of staff in Liz Allen, who was most recently the State Department‘s assistant secretary for global public affairs.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“In addition to holding rallies in each location along the tour, at venues ranging from big arenas to college campuses, including HBCUs, the vice president and her running mate will also take the time to meet with voters in smaller, more intimate settings, including union halls, family-owned restaurants, campaign field offices, and more,” Harris campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt wrote in a statement. “These stops will highlight the ticket’s strength in the blue wall and Sunbelt, from urban areas to rural communities. At each stop, our new ticket will be joined by local elected officials, union members, faith leaders, and more.”

Harris announced her presidential understudy before an Aug. 7 deadline, two weeks before this cycle’s Democratic National Convention, after a political fight with Ohio‘s Republican-controlled legislature over the Buckeye State’s ballot access laws. Although Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed legislation extending the state’s deadline so Biden and then Harris could appear on its ballots, Democrats have remained adamant Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Trump ally, could cause problems and held a virtual roll call vote instead during the last week.

2024-08-06 12:59:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3102857%2Fkamala-harris-tim-walz-vice-presidential-pick%2F?w=600&h=450, Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate, fewer than 100 days before the 2024 election and four years to the week that President Joe Biden tapped her to become his No. 2. Harris’s choice, confirmed by the Associated Press, caps a truncated vetting process after Democrats quickly,

Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate, fewer than 100 days before the 2024 election and four years to the week that President Joe Biden tapped her to become his No. 2.

Harris’s choice, confirmed by the Associated Press, caps a truncated vetting process after Democrats quickly coalesced around Harris as their replacement nominee last month after Biden suspended his reelection campaign in response to party pressure to step aside over concerns about his age, mental acuity, and electoral prospects against former President Donald Trump.

Harris’s decision sets a tone for her campaign and possible administration.

Almost a dozen vice presidential candidates were reportedly vetted by former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder and one-time Biden White House counsel Dana Remus, but the top three contenders became Walz, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) after Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) withdrew his name from consideration. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as well as Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), were also said to be interviewed by Harris’s vetting team and the vice president herself.

Harris’s calculus was reportedly predicated on whether the presumptive vice presidential nominee could help her win before helping her govern, with the desire to avoid negative press like that generated by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) for the Trump campaign over his “childless cat ladies” comments. Harris’s husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and brother-in-law Tony West, who worked under Holder at the Obama Justice Department, were trusted advisers throughout.

Those supporting Shapiro, 51, who became Pennsylvania‘s governor in 2023 after serving as the commonwealth’s attorney general since 2017, contended he could help Harris win the Keystone State, whose 19 Electoral College votes will likely decide the contest. Harris can win Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin but will still not have the 270 electoral votes needed for the presidency.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, encountered a “No Genocide Josh” protest to his vice presidential candidacy despite having similar policy positions related to the Israel–Hamas war as the other contenders. He was additionally criticized for his lack of leadership after a 2018 sexual harassment complaint was made against a former aide. The staffer was on Shapiro’s payroll until last September when he resigned after the matter was settled.

Similarly to Shapiro, proponents of Kelly, 60, a former astronaut and Navy captain who was first elected to Congress in 2020, argued he could help Harris put Arizona back in play after Biden’s slippage with minority voters and on issues, including the economy and the border, in the Grand Canyon State. Kelly’s wife, ex-Rep. Gabby Giffords, almost died in a shooting during a constituent event in 2011, with the couple founding the gun control advocacy and research organization Giffords in the aftermath. Kelly came under scrutiny for Chinese venture capital investment in the spy balloon company he started and his delay in supporting the pro-labor union PRO Act.

Walz, 60, a former Army National Guardsman and social studies teacher before he ran for the House of Representatives in 2006, was thought to bring executive experience rather than a battleground state, having been Minnesota‘s governor since 2018. Folksy Midwestern Walz, who was favored by Biden, House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, was behind the Harris campaign beginning to undermine Trump and Vance as “weird,” with comparisons drawn between him and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton‘s running mate.

The same arguments were made for Cooper, 67, himself a two-term, term-limited governor. Cooper had the advantage of having a pre-existing relationship with Harris from when he was North Carolina‘s attorney general and she was his Californian counterpart. North Carolina was the state Trump won by the smallest margin over Biden in 2020, and the Harris campaign has projected confidence about it, regardless of polling that suggests otherwise.

“This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” Cooper posted on social media.

Harris and her vice presidential pick will now embark on a five-day, seven-state battleground tour, scheduled to start in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, to introduce themselves to the public and underscore what is at stake this election. He already has a Harris campaign chief of staff in Liz Allen, who was most recently the State Department‘s assistant secretary for global public affairs.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“In addition to holding rallies in each location along the tour, at venues ranging from big arenas to college campuses, including HBCUs, the vice president and her running mate will also take the time to meet with voters in smaller, more intimate settings, including union halls, family-owned restaurants, campaign field offices, and more,” Harris campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt wrote in a statement. “These stops will highlight the ticket’s strength in the blue wall and Sunbelt, from urban areas to rural communities. At each stop, our new ticket will be joined by local elected officials, union members, faith leaders, and more.”

Harris announced her presidential understudy before an Aug. 7 deadline, two weeks before this cycle’s Democratic National Convention, after a political fight with Ohio‘s Republican-controlled legislature over the Buckeye State’s ballot access laws. Although Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed legislation extending the state’s deadline so Biden and then Harris could appear on its ballots, Democrats have remained adamant Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Trump ally, could cause problems and held a virtual roll call vote instead during the last week.

, Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to be her running mate, fewer than 100 days before the 2024 election and four years to the week that President Joe Biden tapped her to become his No. 2. Harris’s choice, confirmed by the Associated Press, caps a truncated vetting process after Democrats quickly coalesced around Harris as their replacement nominee last month after Biden suspended his reelection campaign in response to party pressure to step aside over concerns about his age, mental acuity, and electoral prospects against former President Donald Trump. Harris’s decision sets a tone for her campaign and possible administration. Almost a dozen vice presidential candidates were reportedly vetted by former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder and one-time Biden White House counsel Dana Remus, but the top three contenders became Walz, Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) after Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) withdrew his name from consideration. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, as well as Govs. Andy Beshear (D-KY) and J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), were also said to be interviewed by Harris’s vetting team and the vice president herself. Harris’s calculus was reportedly predicated on whether the presumptive vice presidential nominee could help her win before helping her govern, with the desire to avoid negative press like that generated by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) for the Trump campaign over his “childless cat ladies” comments. Harris’s husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and brother-in-law Tony West, who worked under Holder at the Obama Justice Department, were trusted advisers throughout. Those supporting Shapiro, 51, who became Pennsylvania‘s governor in 2023 after serving as the commonwealth’s attorney general since 2017, contended he could help Harris win the Keystone State, whose 19 Electoral College votes will likely decide the contest. Harris can win Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin but will still not have the 270 electoral votes needed for the presidency. Shapiro, who is Jewish, encountered a “No Genocide Josh” protest to his vice presidential candidacy despite having similar policy positions related to the Israel–Hamas war as the other contenders. He was additionally criticized for his lack of leadership after a 2018 sexual harassment complaint was made against a former aide. The staffer was on Shapiro’s payroll until last September when he resigned after the matter was settled. Similarly to Shapiro, proponents of Kelly, 60, a former astronaut and Navy captain who was first elected to Congress in 2020, argued he could help Harris put Arizona back in play after Biden’s slippage with minority voters and on issues, including the economy and the border, in the Grand Canyon State. Kelly’s wife, ex-Rep. Gabby Giffords, almost died in a shooting during a constituent event in 2011, with the couple founding the gun control advocacy and research organization Giffords in the aftermath. Kelly came under scrutiny for Chinese venture capital investment in the spy balloon company he started and his delay in supporting the pro-labor union PRO Act. Walz, 60, a former Army National Guardsman and social studies teacher before he ran for the House of Representatives in 2006, was thought to bring executive experience rather than a battleground state, having been Minnesota‘s governor since 2018. Folksy Midwestern Walz, who was favored by Biden, House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, was behind the Harris campaign beginning to undermine Trump and Vance as “weird,” with comparisons drawn between him and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton‘s running mate. The same arguments were made for Cooper, 67, himself a two-term, term-limited governor. Cooper had the advantage of having a pre-existing relationship with Harris from when he was North Carolina‘s attorney general and she was his Californian counterpart. North Carolina was the state Trump won by the smallest margin over Biden in 2020, and the Harris campaign has projected confidence about it, regardless of polling that suggests otherwise. “This just wasn’t the right time for North Carolina and for me to potentially be on a national ticket,” Cooper posted on social media. pic.twitter.com/vBmxvUhuFu — Roy Cooper (@RoyCooperNC) July 30, 2024 Harris and her vice presidential pick will now embark on a five-day, seven-state battleground tour, scheduled to start in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, to introduce themselves to the public and underscore what is at stake this election. He already has a Harris campaign chief of staff in Liz Allen, who was most recently the State Department‘s assistant secretary for global public affairs. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER “In addition to holding rallies in each location along the tour, at venues ranging from big arenas to college campuses, including HBCUs, the vice president and her running mate will also take the time to meet with voters in smaller, more intimate settings, including union halls, family-owned restaurants, campaign field offices, and more,” Harris campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt wrote in a statement. “These stops will highlight the ticket’s strength in the blue wall and Sunbelt, from urban areas to rural communities. At each stop, our new ticket will be joined by local elected officials, union members, faith leaders, and more.” Harris announced her presidential understudy before an Aug. 7 deadline, two weeks before this cycle’s Democratic National Convention, after a political fight with Ohio‘s Republican-controlled legislature over the Buckeye State’s ballot access laws. Although Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed legislation extending the state’s deadline so Biden and then Harris could appear on its ballots, Democrats have remained adamant Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Trump ally, could cause problems and held a virtual roll call vote instead during the last week., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Harris_Kamala_2024_election_49876.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Naomi Lim,

As Republicans try to undercut Vice President Kamala Harris as a San Francisco liberal, the Harris campaign is making overtures to members of the GOP who dislike former President Donald Trump.

Rebranding its “Republicans for Biden” program from when President Joe Biden was running for reelection, the Harris campaign has recommitted to reaching out to GOP voters through events and other organizing efforts, in addition to ads, as it did during the primary when Trump was feuding with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Republicans for Harris will particularly rely on “local and trusted Republican voices to speak to their friends and family about the importance of voting for the vice president,” according to the Harris campaign.

“Online, we will also leverage a grassroots-driven digital campaign featuring direct to camera testimonials from Republican Harris supporters making their case to fellow Republicans about voting for Vice President Harris,” the Harris campaign wrote Sunday in a memo.

Republicans for Harris will roll out from Monday with events in Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, with plans for GOP Harris surrogates to appear at events with Harris and her running mate during their battleground state tour this week.

“Republicans for Harris is also engaging voters and organizers by building out State Advisory Committees in battleground states to engage Trump-skeptical Republican voters,” the campaign memo stated. “These committees will play a pivotal role in facilitating Republican-to-Republican voter contact, including by hosting Republican-featured events, door knocking, phone banking, spearheading letter-to-the-editor campaigns, and building local networks with Republican organizations, businesses, and community groups.”

The launch of Republicans for Harris coincided with Trump’s rally in Atlanta on Saturday, during which he criticized Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in personal terms. Trump and Kemp continue to clash over the 2020 election, after which Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “to find 11,780 votes” so he could win the Peach State.

“He’s a disloyal guy, and he’s a very average governor. Little Brian. Little Brian Kemp. Bad guy,” Trump said this weekend.

Biden won Georgia, the first Democrat to do so since former President Bill Clinton in 1992, in part because of his appeal to black voters and his ability to connect with anti-Trump Republicans voters. For instance, Haley received 78,000 votes in the GOP primary in March after she had suspended her campaign.

But while the Republicans for Harris “campaign within a campaign,” as Harris aides describe it, has already been endorsed by the likes of former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, it still has work to do with people, such as Principles First founder Heath Mayo, who started his “pro-democracy, anti-Trump” conservative organization in response to the former president.

“I voted Biden in 2020. [Evan] McMullin in 2016,” Mayo told the Washington Examiner. “This again will sadly not be an election about policy differences, but about the fundamental ingredients that have made America the envy of the world, respect for the Constitution, upholding the outcomes of our elections, accountability under the law, etc.”

“Harris needs to make the case to principled conservative voters in defense of these core commitments,” he said.

Republicans for Harris complements the campaign’s more traditional outreach, with volunteers making 2.3 million phone calls, knocking on 172,000 doors, and sending 2.9 million text messages to battleground state voters in the last two weeks, according to battleground states director Dan Kanninen.

“We currently have more than 260 coordinated campaign offices and more than 1,400 coordinated staff across the battleground states that are making investments in training and reaching supporters across the country with new organizing tactics,” Kanninen wrote Saturday in a separate memo. “In the next two weeks, we will also add 150 more staff to the blue wall and more than double our staff in Arizona and North Carolina to ensure we continue to capitalize and drive the enormous enthusiasm for the vice president.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Meanwhile, Donald Trump is running a flailing campaign with no vision for the future, his brand new running mate is depressing Republican enthusiasm, and with only three months until Election Day, his campaign still lags far behind in the infrastructure needed to win in key battleground states,” he added. “For example, in Nevada, Team Harris has 13 offices, while Trump has just one. In Pennsylvania, we have 36 coordinated offices while Trump has just 3. In Georgia, we have 24 offices while the Trump team didn’t open their first until June.”

Harris had a good second week of her campaign last week, announcing her campaign raised $310 million last month and hosted a 10,000-person rally in Atlanta last Tuesday as she tries to put pressure on Trump to debate her on ABC next month. She is expected to announce her vice presidential pick soon, before she and her second in command embark on a five-day, seven-state swing, scheduled to begin in Philadelphia on that day.

2024-08-04 20:16:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3110210%2Fharris-tries-to-leverage-momentum-with-gop-and-battleground-voter-outreach%2F?w=600&h=450, As Republicans try to undercut Vice President Kamala Harris as a San Francisco liberal, the Harris campaign is making overtures to members of the GOP who dislike former President Donald Trump. Rebranding its “Republicans for Biden” program from when President Joe Biden was running for reelection, the Harris campaign has recommitted to reaching out to,

As Republicans try to undercut Vice President Kamala Harris as a San Francisco liberal, the Harris campaign is making overtures to members of the GOP who dislike former President Donald Trump.

Rebranding its “Republicans for Biden” program from when President Joe Biden was running for reelection, the Harris campaign has recommitted to reaching out to GOP voters through events and other organizing efforts, in addition to ads, as it did during the primary when Trump was feuding with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Republicans for Harris will particularly rely on “local and trusted Republican voices to speak to their friends and family about the importance of voting for the vice president,” according to the Harris campaign.

“Online, we will also leverage a grassroots-driven digital campaign featuring direct to camera testimonials from Republican Harris supporters making their case to fellow Republicans about voting for Vice President Harris,” the Harris campaign wrote Sunday in a memo.

Republicans for Harris will roll out from Monday with events in Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, with plans for GOP Harris surrogates to appear at events with Harris and her running mate during their battleground state tour this week.

“Republicans for Harris is also engaging voters and organizers by building out State Advisory Committees in battleground states to engage Trump-skeptical Republican voters,” the campaign memo stated. “These committees will play a pivotal role in facilitating Republican-to-Republican voter contact, including by hosting Republican-featured events, door knocking, phone banking, spearheading letter-to-the-editor campaigns, and building local networks with Republican organizations, businesses, and community groups.”

The launch of Republicans for Harris coincided with Trump’s rally in Atlanta on Saturday, during which he criticized Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in personal terms. Trump and Kemp continue to clash over the 2020 election, after which Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “to find 11,780 votes” so he could win the Peach State.

“He’s a disloyal guy, and he’s a very average governor. Little Brian. Little Brian Kemp. Bad guy,” Trump said this weekend.

Biden won Georgia, the first Democrat to do so since former President Bill Clinton in 1992, in part because of his appeal to black voters and his ability to connect with anti-Trump Republicans voters. For instance, Haley received 78,000 votes in the GOP primary in March after she had suspended her campaign.

But while the Republicans for Harris “campaign within a campaign,” as Harris aides describe it, has already been endorsed by the likes of former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, it still has work to do with people, such as Principles First founder Heath Mayo, who started his “pro-democracy, anti-Trump” conservative organization in response to the former president.

“I voted Biden in 2020. [Evan] McMullin in 2016,” Mayo told the Washington Examiner. “This again will sadly not be an election about policy differences, but about the fundamental ingredients that have made America the envy of the world, respect for the Constitution, upholding the outcomes of our elections, accountability under the law, etc.”

“Harris needs to make the case to principled conservative voters in defense of these core commitments,” he said.

Republicans for Harris complements the campaign’s more traditional outreach, with volunteers making 2.3 million phone calls, knocking on 172,000 doors, and sending 2.9 million text messages to battleground state voters in the last two weeks, according to battleground states director Dan Kanninen.

“We currently have more than 260 coordinated campaign offices and more than 1,400 coordinated staff across the battleground states that are making investments in training and reaching supporters across the country with new organizing tactics,” Kanninen wrote Saturday in a separate memo. “In the next two weeks, we will also add 150 more staff to the blue wall and more than double our staff in Arizona and North Carolina to ensure we continue to capitalize and drive the enormous enthusiasm for the vice president.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

“Meanwhile, Donald Trump is running a flailing campaign with no vision for the future, his brand new running mate is depressing Republican enthusiasm, and with only three months until Election Day, his campaign still lags far behind in the infrastructure needed to win in key battleground states,” he added. “For example, in Nevada, Team Harris has 13 offices, while Trump has just one. In Pennsylvania, we have 36 coordinated offices while Trump has just 3. In Georgia, we have 24 offices while the Trump team didn’t open their first until June.”

Harris had a good second week of her campaign last week, announcing her campaign raised $310 million last month and hosted a 10,000-person rally in Atlanta last Tuesday as she tries to put pressure on Trump to debate her on ABC next month. She is expected to announce her vice presidential pick soon, before she and her second in command embark on a five-day, seven-state swing, scheduled to begin in Philadelphia on that day.

, As Republicans try to undercut Vice President Kamala Harris as a San Francisco liberal, the Harris campaign is making overtures to members of the GOP who dislike former President Donald Trump. Rebranding its “Republicans for Biden” program from when President Joe Biden was running for reelection, the Harris campaign has recommitted to reaching out to GOP voters through events and other organizing efforts, in addition to ads, as it did during the primary when Trump was feuding with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Republicans for Harris will particularly rely on “local and trusted Republican voices to speak to their friends and family about the importance of voting for the vice president,” according to the Harris campaign. “Online, we will also leverage a grassroots-driven digital campaign featuring direct to camera testimonials from Republican Harris supporters making their case to fellow Republicans about voting for Vice President Harris,” the Harris campaign wrote Sunday in a memo. Republicans for Harris will roll out from Monday with events in Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, with plans for GOP Harris surrogates to appear at events with Harris and her running mate during their battleground state tour this week. “Republicans for Harris is also engaging voters and organizers by building out State Advisory Committees in battleground states to engage Trump-skeptical Republican voters,” the campaign memo stated. “These committees will play a pivotal role in facilitating Republican-to-Republican voter contact, including by hosting Republican-featured events, door knocking, phone banking, spearheading letter-to-the-editor campaigns, and building local networks with Republican organizations, businesses, and community groups.” The launch of Republicans for Harris coincided with Trump’s rally in Atlanta on Saturday, during which he criticized Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) in personal terms. Trump and Kemp continue to clash over the 2020 election, after which Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger “to find 11,780 votes” so he could win the Peach State. “He’s a disloyal guy, and he’s a very average governor. Little Brian. Little Brian Kemp. Bad guy,” Trump said this weekend. Biden won Georgia, the first Democrat to do so since former President Bill Clinton in 1992, in part because of his appeal to black voters and his ability to connect with anti-Trump Republicans voters. For instance, Haley received 78,000 votes in the GOP primary in March after she had suspended her campaign. But while the Republicans for Harris “campaign within a campaign,” as Harris aides describe it, has already been endorsed by the likes of former Trump White House officials Stephanie Grisham, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, it still has work to do with people, such as Principles First founder Heath Mayo, who started his “pro-democracy, anti-Trump” conservative organization in response to the former president. “I voted Biden in 2020. [Evan] McMullin in 2016,” Mayo told the Washington Examiner. “This again will sadly not be an election about policy differences, but about the fundamental ingredients that have made America the envy of the world, respect for the Constitution, upholding the outcomes of our elections, accountability under the law, etc.” “Harris needs to make the case to principled conservative voters in defense of these core commitments,” he said. Republicans for Harris complements the campaign’s more traditional outreach, with volunteers making 2.3 million phone calls, knocking on 172,000 doors, and sending 2.9 million text messages to battleground state voters in the last two weeks, according to battleground states director Dan Kanninen. “We currently have more than 260 coordinated campaign offices and more than 1,400 coordinated staff across the battleground states that are making investments in training and reaching supporters across the country with new organizing tactics,” Kanninen wrote Saturday in a separate memo. “In the next two weeks, we will also add 150 more staff to the blue wall and more than double our staff in Arizona and North Carolina to ensure we continue to capitalize and drive the enormous enthusiasm for the vice president.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER “Meanwhile, Donald Trump is running a flailing campaign with no vision for the future, his brand new running mate is depressing Republican enthusiasm, and with only three months until Election Day, his campaign still lags far behind in the infrastructure needed to win in key battleground states,” he added. “For example, in Nevada, Team Harris has 13 offices, while Trump has just one. In Pennsylvania, we have 36 coordinated offices while Trump has just 3. In Georgia, we have 24 offices while the Trump team didn’t open their first until June.” Harris had a good second week of her campaign last week, announcing her campaign raised $310 million last month and hosted a 10,000-person rally in Atlanta last Tuesday as she tries to put pressure on Trump to debate her on ABC next month. She is expected to announce her vice presidential pick soon, before she and her second in command embark on a five-day, seven-state swing, scheduled to begin in Philadelphia on that day., , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Kamala_Harris_election_441.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Naomi Lim,

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would prefer that former President Donald Trump remain focused on criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris‘s policy positions and record, not her race or gender.

“I would encourage President Trump to prosecute the case against Kamala Harris’s bad judgment,” Graham told Fox News on Sunday.

By way of example, Graham underscored Harris’s defense of President Joe Biden‘s economic policies.

“The problem I have with Kamala Harris is not her heritage, it’s her judgment,” Graham said. “She has been wrong about everything. When she tried to explain what she would do about inflation and an upcoming recession, it made no sense. It’s gibberish.”

“She’s been in the Witness Protection Program,” he added. “Nobody will ask her a hard question. Every day we’re talking about her heritage and not her terrible, dangerous liberal record throughout her entire political life. it’s a good day for her and a bad day for us.”

Graham also discouraged Trump from scrutinizing Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) after the former president called him “Little Brian,” “disloyal,” “very average,” and a “bad guy” during a rally in Georgia on Saturday. The pair have had a strained working relationship since the 2020 election, when Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger declined “to find 11,780 votes,” which Trump asked Raffensperger to do during a taped Jan. 2 phone call.

“Georgia is there for the taking,” Graham said. “I’m hoping that President Trump and Governor Kemp can repair the damage to win Georgia, a state if we win, we’re going to go well on our way to winning 270 electoral votes.”

“If we lose Georgia, it could be a very long night,” he continued. “So let’s win this election. How about that? Let’s win an election we can’t afford to lose.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

During a press conference in Paris three years ago, Harris was asked whether the pandemic-era spending Biden had proposed would contribute to increased consumer prices.

“Well, let’s start with this: Prices have gone up,” Harris said. “Families and individuals are dealing with the realities of — that bread costs more, that gas costs more. And we have to understand what that means. That’s about the cost of living going up. That’s about having to stress and stretch limited resources. That’s about a source of stress for families that is not only economic but is, on a daily level, something that is a heavy weight to carry. So, it is something that we take very seriously. Very seriously.”

2024-08-04 18:19:00, http://s.wordpress.com/mshots/v1/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonexaminer.com%2Fnews%2Fcampaigns%2Fpresidential%2F3110158%2Fgraham-urges-trump-to-attack-harris-on-judgment-not-background%2F?w=600&h=450, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would prefer that former President Donald Trump remain focused on criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris‘s policy positions and record, not her race or gender. “I would encourage President Trump to prosecute the case against Kamala Harris’s bad judgment,” Graham told Fox News on Sunday. By way of example, Graham underscored Harris’s,

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would prefer that former President Donald Trump remain focused on criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris‘s policy positions and record, not her race or gender.

“I would encourage President Trump to prosecute the case against Kamala Harris’s bad judgment,” Graham told Fox News on Sunday.

By way of example, Graham underscored Harris’s defense of President Joe Biden‘s economic policies.

“The problem I have with Kamala Harris is not her heritage, it’s her judgment,” Graham said. “She has been wrong about everything. When she tried to explain what she would do about inflation and an upcoming recession, it made no sense. It’s gibberish.”

“She’s been in the Witness Protection Program,” he added. “Nobody will ask her a hard question. Every day we’re talking about her heritage and not her terrible, dangerous liberal record throughout her entire political life. it’s a good day for her and a bad day for us.”

Graham also discouraged Trump from scrutinizing Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) after the former president called him “Little Brian,” “disloyal,” “very average,” and a “bad guy” during a rally in Georgia on Saturday. The pair have had a strained working relationship since the 2020 election, when Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger declined “to find 11,780 votes,” which Trump asked Raffensperger to do during a taped Jan. 2 phone call.

“Georgia is there for the taking,” Graham said. “I’m hoping that President Trump and Governor Kemp can repair the damage to win Georgia, a state if we win, we’re going to go well on our way to winning 270 electoral votes.”

“If we lose Georgia, it could be a very long night,” he continued. “So let’s win this election. How about that? Let’s win an election we can’t afford to lose.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

During a press conference in Paris three years ago, Harris was asked whether the pandemic-era spending Biden had proposed would contribute to increased consumer prices.

“Well, let’s start with this: Prices have gone up,” Harris said. “Families and individuals are dealing with the realities of — that bread costs more, that gas costs more. And we have to understand what that means. That’s about the cost of living going up. That’s about having to stress and stretch limited resources. That’s about a source of stress for families that is not only economic but is, on a daily level, something that is a heavy weight to carry. So, it is something that we take very seriously. Very seriously.”

, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would prefer that former President Donald Trump remain focused on criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris‘s policy positions and record, not her race or gender. “I would encourage President Trump to prosecute the case against Kamala Harris’s bad judgment,” Graham told Fox News on Sunday. By way of example, Graham underscored Harris’s defense of President Joe Biden‘s economic policies. “The problem I have with Kamala Harris is not her heritage, it’s her judgment,” Graham said. “She has been wrong about everything. When she tried to explain what she would do about inflation and an upcoming recession, it made no sense. It’s gibberish.” “She’s been in the Witness Protection Program,” he added. “Nobody will ask her a hard question. Every day we’re talking about her heritage and not her terrible, dangerous liberal record throughout her entire political life. it’s a good day for her and a bad day for us.” Graham also discouraged Trump from scrutinizing Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) after the former president called him “Little Brian,” “disloyal,” “very average,” and a “bad guy” during a rally in Georgia on Saturday. The pair have had a strained working relationship since the 2020 election, when Kemp and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger declined “to find 11,780 votes,” which Trump asked Raffensperger to do during a taped Jan. 2 phone call. “Georgia is there for the taking,” Graham said. “I’m hoping that President Trump and Governor Kemp can repair the damage to win Georgia, a state if we win, we’re going to go well on our way to winning 270 electoral votes.” “If we lose Georgia, it could be a very long night,” he continued. “So let’s win this election. How about that? Let’s win an election we can’t afford to lose.” CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER During a press conference in Paris three years ago, Harris was asked whether the pandemic-era spending Biden had proposed would contribute to increased consumer prices. “Well, let’s start with this: Prices have gone up,” Harris said. “Families and individuals are dealing with the realities of — that bread costs more, that gas costs more. And we have to understand what that means. That’s about the cost of living going up. That’s about having to stress and stretch limited resources. That’s about a source of stress for families that is not only economic but is, on a daily level, something that is a heavy weight to carry. So, it is something that we take very seriously. Very seriously.”, , , https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lindsey-Graham-scaled-1024×682.webp, Washington Examiner, Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/cropped-favicon-32×32.png, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/feed/, Naomi Lim,