Harris tells cheering crowd in Wisconsin that November election is ‘a choice between freedom and chaos’

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (AP) — A jubilant crowd of voters in the pivotal state welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday as she opened her public case against former Republican President Donald Trump by declaring that the November election will be “a choice between freedom and chaos.”

“In this campaign, I promise you that I will proudly compare my record to his every day of the week,” Harris said. “We believe in a future where everyone has the chance to not just survive, but thrive.”

Harris arrived in the Milwaukee area after securing support for her nomination from Democratic delegates after President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid on Sunday. It was her first campaign rally since jumping into the race two days ago with Biden’s endorsement.

The event reflected a vibrancy that has been lacking among Democrats in recent weeks, and Harris was determined to project a sense of unwavering confidence about the November election. She has raised $100 million in donations since Sunday afternoon and on Tuesday won the support of more Democratic officials and political groups, including congressional leaders Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.

By stopping in Wisconsin, Harris set a milestone in one of the “blue wall” states, along with Michigan and Pennsylvania, that Democrats see as vital to securing a presidential victory.

The visit comes a week after the Republican National Convention concludes in the city and as Harris seeks to sharpen her message against the GOP candidate with just over 100 days until Election Day.

Harris’ trip to the state was a sharp contrast to Biden’s July 6 visit, when he sought to reassure Democrats wary after his troubling June 27 debate performance against Trump. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is seeking re-election this year, skipped Biden’s event, but she spoke on Harris’ behalf on Tuesday.

Harris bases her resume as a former California district attorney and attorney general on a contrast with Trump, who is the first former president to be convicted of a serious crime.

“She is prepared for this moment because she is professionally trained to prosecute a criminal, and unfortunately that is who the Republicans have put forward,” said Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif.

Harris took the stage on Tuesday to the song “Freedom” from Beyoncé’s album “Lemonade” and began comparing herself to Trump.

“I’ve taken on all kinds of perpetrators. Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Swindlers who broke the rules for their own gain. So listen to me when I say I know the type of Donald Trump,” she said.

Harris presented her campaign as a “people first” effort, again seeking to contrast with Trump, who she said represented special interests and corporations.

She also portrayed her rival’s policies as outdated and outmoded. “We’re not going back,” she said. “And I’ll tell you why we’re not going back. We’re fighting for the future.” It was an echo of Barack Obama, who often used the refrain during his 2012 reelection campaign to argue against Republican ideas.

Harris’ meteoric rise in recent days has forced her to vet potential running mates, a process led by Eric Holder, who served as attorney general during Barack Obama’s presidency. But her most significant impact so far has been in mobilizing Democrats.

Before her speech on Tuesday, Diane Walter, 68, of South Milwaukee said she was thrilled that Harris was the nominee.

“I’ve been a Democrat my whole life,” Walter said. “She’s re-energizing the party.”

Tevin Humphrey, 21, came with his mother Myeesha Johnson, 41, and described the vice president as “a great figure to look up to.”

“She is a better representative of the diversity we are looking for,” he said.

Trump and his campaign quickly took aim at Harris, stating that they were prepared for the change and that it did not change their plans.

The former president has nicknamed the vice president “Lyin’ Kamala Harris” and accused her of not being tough enough on crime as a prosecutor. He also tried to tie her to the administration’s policies at the border as he tries to make immigration a key campaign issue.

But there are signs that Trump appears unhappy about facing off against the younger vice president rather than making his case against the aging president. Twice since Biden withdrew, Trump has said the planned second presidential debate should not be hosted by ABC News and has suggested moving it to Fox News, which has been seen as friendlier to him.

Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, said during an appearance in Washington that he was unfazed by Trump’s attacks. On Tuesday, he told reporters: “Is that all he’s got?”

In addition to Baldwin, Harris was joined by key Wisconsin elected officials, including Governor Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler.

Republican leaders in Wisconsin, for their part, labeled Harris an “extreme liberal” who is out of step with most voters in the swing state.

“Kamala Harris’ favoritism is just as bad as Joe Biden’s,” Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming said at a news conference ahead of the Harris event at a high school outside Milwaukee. “So they’re trading one bad candidate for another bad candidate in the hopes that the people of this state and this country won’t notice where she actually stands on the issues.”

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Associated Press writer Josh Boak reported from Washington. AP writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed.

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