US Vice President Kamala Harris went on the offensive against Donald Trump at her first White House campaign rally, portraying the November election as a choice between a former prosecutor and a convicted felon.
Speaking to a crowd of about 3,000 in the key swing state of Wisconsin, Harris compared her Republican opponent to fraudsters she said she had pursued.
Meanwhile, Trump criticized her record at the border, posting on social media: “Liar Kamala Harris destroys everything she touches!”
It comes a day after she won the support of a majority of Democratic delegates, paving the way for her to become the party’s nominee.
On Sunday afternoon, President Joe Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race and endorsed his vice president amid growing pressure from top Democrats and donors following his disastrous debate against Trump in late June.
Harris’s fledgling campaign raised a staggering $100m (£77m) in the 36 hours after Mr Biden left office.
Adding to his momentum, a new national poll from Reuters and Ipsos gives him a two-point lead over Trump, 44 percent to 42 percent.
Taking the stage to applause at a suburban Milwaukee high school on Tuesday, Harris highlighted her experience as California’s attorney general.
“I’ve faced criminals of all kinds,” she said. “Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain.”
“So listen to me when I say I know Donald Trump’s type,” Harris added. “In this campaign, I promise you that I will proudly compare my record to his any day of the week.”
In response, the crowd shouted “Kamala! Kamala!” Some observers noted that the crowd’s enthusiasm contrasted with that seen at Biden’s events this election cycle.
When his Republican opponent’s name was mentioned, many attendees chanted “lock him up,” echoing a similar refrain at Trump’s events when he was running against Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Meanwhile, Trump posted a poll on his social media platform, Truth Social, revealing that Harris was the most unpopular vice president in US history.
He also shared a post highlighting that she had been ranked by the nonpartisan congressional ratings organization GovTrack as one of the most left-leaning among dozens of Democratic senators during her tenure.
Harris outlined a number of Liberal priorities in her speech, including gun control and access to abortion, as well as child poverty, union rights and affordable health care.
“Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and the rule of law, or in a country of chaos, fear and hatred?” she asked.
It’s unclear whether Harris can maintain her momentum. In a note released Tuesday, pollster Tony Fabrizio predicted that her “honeymoon” period with voters will end and she will refocus on her role as Biden’s partner and co-pilot.
Trump’s campaign has criticized Harris’ failure to stem the record influx of illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. It has also signaled it will criticize the Biden-Harris administration’s record on crime and inflation.
An email sent Tuesday afternoon by the Republican candidate’s team accused him of bailing out “murderers, rapists and other violent offenders,” insulting Israel and misleading the American public about Mr. Biden’s “cognitive decline.”
In a call with reporters, Trump said of Ms Harris: “She’s a radical leftist, but this country doesn’t want a radical leftist coming in and destroying it.”
“I think she should be easier to face than Biden, because he was slightly more mainstream, but not by much.”
Trump also said he was open to debating her in September, when he was originally scheduled to face Biden on ABC News.
“I didn’t agree to anything,” he said. “I agreed to a debate with Joe Biden. But I want to debate her. She’s not going to be any different.”
Most Democratic lawmakers – including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – have already endorsed Ms Harris’ candidacy.
Entertainers George Clooney, Barbra Streisand and Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as other Hollywood stars, have also endorsed her, potentially unlocking substantial new donations for her campaign.
His campaign is still under review potential running mates.
On Wednesday, President Biden will deliver remarks from the Oval Office explaining his decision to step down. He returned to the White House on Tuesday after several days away from the public eye while recovering from COVID-19.
In Washington, a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced articles of impeachment against Ms. Harris.
The resolution, authored by Andy Ogles of Tennessee, charges him with high crimes and misdemeanors related to his handling of immigration at the border.
It is considered unlikely that he will progress.
