'Harris' Rapid Chase, Raises 280 Billion Won in a Week for Presidential Bid... Trump Bewildered by Harris' Sudden Rise'

'45% vs 47%'
Harris Narrowly Trails Trump in Support Ratings
Trump Calls Him a "Far-Left Lunatic" in Harsh Remarks

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has secured the Democratic presidential ticket, has raised $200 million (approximately 277 billion KRW) within a week of declaring her presidential bid. Vice President Harris is rapidly expanding her support base, especially among younger voters, while quickly closing the gap in approval ratings against the Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, creating an extremely tight race.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 28th (local time), the Harris campaign announced that it had raised $200 million within a week since the 21st, with 66% of the funds coming from new donors.

Earlier, on the 21st, when President Joe Biden officially announced he would not seek re-election following a decisive loss in the presidential TV debate and amid concerns about his age and cognitive abilities, Vice President Harris declared her candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. Within 24 hours of President Biden's withdrawal, the Harris campaign raised $81 million (approximately 112 billion KRW), marking the largest daily fundraising amount ever for a candidate.

Democratic supporters have quickly rallied around Vice President Harris since her entry. Although, as of the second quarter, the Trump campaign raised $431.2 million (approximately 597.5 billion KRW) and the Biden campaign raised $332.4 million (approximately 460.5 billion KRW), leaving the Democrats behind, the arrival of Vice President Harris as a savior has led to a surge in donations.

The presidential race is also shifting dramatically. The dynamic has changed from a contest between older white men to a matchup between a "50-something woman of color" and a "70-something white man," making it inevitable for both sides to revise their election strategies. In particular, Vice President Harris is rapidly expanding her support base among younger voters. On social media platforms, various memes featuring Vice President Harris have gained popularity. According to an analysis of the video platform TikTok, posts mentioning Vice President Harris increased by 455% over the past month compared to before.

Vice President Harris is also closing in on former President Trump in approval ratings. According to a poll conducted by Forbes and the polling firm HarrisX from the 22nd to the 24th among 3,000 American voters, Vice President Harris's approval rating stood at 45%, just 2 percentage points behind former President Trump at 47%. In a previous poll conducted from the 19th to the 21st, when President Biden was still a candidate, former President Trump had 48% and President Biden had 40%, meaning the gap narrowed dramatically from 8 percentage points to just 2 percentage points.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Former President Trump, visibly unsettled by Vice President Harris's rapid rise, has intensified his attacks against her. In a speech in St. Cloud, Minnesota, the previous day, Trump disparaged Vice President Harris as an "extreme left-wing lunatic" and a "crazy progressive," unleashing harsh remarks. A complete overhaul of future election strategies has also become inevitable.

Additionally, Republican vice-presidential candidate Senator J.D. Vance's past derogatory remarks about Vice President Harris as a "childless cat lady" have resurfaced, drawing criticism even within the Republican Party. Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro said, "If there were a time machine to go back two weeks, would (former President Trump) choose Vance again?" and answered, "No, he would not."