Kamala Harris attacks Trump convictions, touts American freedom in first campaign video
WASHINGTON - Vice President Kamala Harris is charting her own course, launching a blistering video attacking former President Donald Trump, a day after President Joe Biden addressed the nation about his decision to step down from the ticket.
The video titled “We Choose Freedom,” which aired on her social media channels Thursday and marks a defining moment for her campaign, echoes Harris’ culture warrior stance on key issues like abortion.
“In this election, we each face a question. What kind of country do we want to live in? There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos. Of fear. Of hate,” she says as images of Trump and Ohio Sen. JD Vance appears in the ad. “But us. We choose something different. We choose freedom.”
The video, featuring Beyoncé’s song “Freedom,” shows various images of Harris’s supporters and everyday Americans of all backgrounds as she discusses what freedom will look like under her administration.
The message contrasts with that of her Republican opponent, who has termed her “radical” and slammed her on an array of issues as he has tried to gain control of the narrative in the 2024 race after Biden’s exit.
“The freedom not just to get by, but get ahead. The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to make decisions about your own body,” Harris says. “We choose a future where no child lives in poverty. Where we all can afford health care. Where no one is above the law.”
As she says the last sentence, an image of Trump’s mugshot and newspaper headlines that the former president was convicted and indicted appear in the ad.
“We believe in the promise of America and we are ready to fight for it,” she adds. “Because when we fight, we win. So join us.”Less than a week after Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, the Democratic party coalesced around Harris to be the new party’s nominee.
Harris has raised $126 million since Sunday. In a campaign memo, Jen O'Malley Dillon, chair of the Harris campaign, said Harris is in "a strong position to win,” pointing to how she performs better compared to Trump among Black, Hispanic, and young voters.
Harris held her first campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Tuesday, where she walked on stage to the same song, “Freedom” by Beyonce.
Since announcing, Harris has faced racist and misogynistic attacks from members of the Republican Party. She has been labeled a “DEI candidate” — a talking point using the acronym for diversity, equity and inclusion that conservatives are using to disqualify people of color or women who ascend to positions of power and influence.
A video of Vance resurfaced this week that implied Harris was among top Democrats who were “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made.”
Vance, who made those comments during an appearance on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" in July 2021 while he was running for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat, said “the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children." Harris is the step-mother of two children.
Contributing: Francesca Chambers, Joey Garrison and David Jackson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: In her first campaign video Kamala Harris touts freedom