WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris' The campaign has raised $200 million since emerging because the likely Democratic presidential nominee last week, a shocking haul in her race against the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump.
The campaign, which announced its latest fundraising totals on Sunday, said the vast majority of donations – 66% – got here from first-time donors within the 2024 election cycle and were made after the election of President Joe Biden. announced his departure out of the race and supported Harris.
More than 170,000 volunteers have also signed up to assist Harris' campaign with phone canvassing, door-to-door canvassing and other campaign outreach efforts. Election Day is 100 days away.
“Vice President Harris has real momentum and energy – and so do the basic facts of this race: This election will be very close and decided by a small number of voters in just a few states,” Michael Tyler, the campaign's communications director, wrote in a memo.
Her campaign said it held about 2,300 organizing events in swing states last weekend, with several well-known Democrats who’re being regarded as Harris' running mate campaigning for her.
Harris campaigned in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday. Raising tons of for a fundraiser that was organized when Biden was still at the highest of the Democratic ticket. The fundraiser was originally expected to boost $400,000, but only raised about $1.4 million, in accordance with the campaign.
Mandy Robbins, 45, of Decatur, Georgia, drove to considered one of those organizing events within the northern suburbs of Atlanta on Sunday to listen to from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a possible Harris vice presidential candidate.
She said Biden had done a “great job” within the White House, but acknowledged that she “wouldn't have been nearly as excited” if he had stayed within the race.
“Now I'm finally hopeful,” Robbins said. She added, “With Harris, we can win this.”
Beshear spoke to his supporters from experience, telling them their work could make the difference in what is anticipated to be an in depth race. Beshear won his 2019 campaign by about 5,000 votes out of 1.41 million forged. He was re-elected in November by a comparatively comfortable margin.
“Every knock on the door mattered. Every phone call mattered. Every difficult conversation people had with their uncle on Thanksgiving mattered,” Beshear said of his 2019 election. “Everyone who volunteers here today … you could make the difference in winning this race for Vice President Harris.”
Meanwhile, Trump, his running mate and Senator JD Vance and their surrogates stepped up their efforts to portray Harris as a radical left-wing politician who had lost touch with the American mainstream.
Vance said Sunday after a stop at a diner in Waite Park, Minnesota, that Harris had “got a little boost from her introduction” but predicted that may soon fade.
“Look, people are going to learn her record,” Vance said. “They're going to learn that she's a radical. They're going to learn that she's basically a liberal from San Francisco who wants to expand San Francisco politics to the whole country.”
Vance echoed Trump's views, who called Harris a “crazy liberal” during a joint campaign appearance with Vance in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on Saturday, accused her of wanting to “defund the police” and described her as an “absolute radical” on the abortion issue. Harris, a vocal supporter of abortion rightshas made it clear that she is going to make Republican-backed efforts to limit reproductive rights a central issue in her campaign.
“There isn’t a liberal horse she doesn’t want to ride,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Trump supporter Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also sought to portray Harris as a full partner in “many of the Biden administration's worst decisions,” including the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops in August 2021 that led to the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and military.
Cotton also accused Harris of encouraging the Iranian proxy organizations Hamas and Hezbollah by pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over civilian casualties within the Gaza war.
Netanyahu met individually with Harris and Biden on the White House on Thursday. Afterwards, Harris said she had Netanyahu to succeed in a ceasefire agreement to soon work with the militant group Hamas to permit dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since October 7 to return home. Harris said she also affirmed Israel's right to defend itself, but expressed deep concern in regards to the High death toll in Gaza and the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation there.
Tensions within the Middle East escalated on Saturday after Israeli authorities said Rocket from Lebanon hit a football field on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, killing 12 children and teenagers. The strike raised fears of a bigger regional war between Israel and Hezbollah, which denied involvement within the attack.
Trump said at his rally on Saturday the incident on the Golan Heights “will go down in history as another moment caused by a weak and ineffective US president and vice president.” And Vance accused Harris on Sunday of being “a disaster” when it got here to the conflict.
Still, some Republicans are concerned that Harris's inauguration has given Democrats latest momentum and that Trump must re-orient his strategy.
Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., said Harris is in a “honeymoon phase” that may likely last a month. But he also said each Trump and Vance should stop the private attacks against Harris because they won't get people to vote. Instead, they should give attention to the problems and “avoid the insults.”
“But hopefully the numbers and polls will lead Donald Trump to realize what worked and what didn't,” Sununu said.
Graham appeared on CBS's “Face the Nation,” Sununu on ABC's “This Week” and Cotton on CNN's “State of the Union.”
Price reported from Waite Park, Minnesota, and Barrow from Cumming, Georgia. Associated Press author Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.
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