The Presidential Election 20 Days Away in a Tight Race
Harris Camp Faces Emergency as Poll Surge Stalls
Harris Also Highlights 'Trump Risk' Intensely
U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has launched a negative campaign against Republican candidate former President Donald Trump as her rising approval ratings have stalled. With the election just 20 days away and Trump's pursuit narrowing the gap to a tie in nationwide and battleground state polls, creating an ultra-close race, Harris has shifted her strategy to focus on highlighting the 'Trump risk.'
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 16th (local time), Vice President Harris instructed her campaign to make greater use of former President Trump's statements.
On the 14th, during a rally in Pennsylvania, the largest battleground state, Harris spent a significant amount of time attacking former President Trump. She played video clips of Trump's remarks in front of voters, directly confronting his so-called 'internal enemy' comments. Harris said, "He considers anyone who does not support him or bend to his will as an enemy," adding, "He says he will mobilize the military to chase them down. Think about that!"
Earlier, former President Trump stated in a Fox News interview that "radical left-wing lunatics" and other "internal enemies" must be eradicated even if it requires mobilizing the military.
Vice President Harris intensified her attacks on former President Trump using expressions such as "very dangerous," "risky," and "unstable and not in his right mind."
In a radio interview the previous day, she criticized Trump's vision as essentially fascism. She is focusing on highlighting cognitive risks related to Trump's age. After an event held on the 14th in the Philadelphia suburbs, where Trump spent 30 minutes just listening to music and dancing, Harris posted on social media, "I hope he is okay." This statement implied concerns about possible mental health issues for the 78-year-old former president. Harris is 59 years old, significantly younger than Trump.
Initially, after becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Harris emphasized freedoms such as abortion rights and gun ownership. However, as her approval ratings have recently stalled and Trump's pursuit in battleground states has intensified, she has shifted her campaign strategy to emphasize the threat to democracy posed by a second Trump term.
Recent poll results have further fueled the urgency within the Harris campaign. According to an NBC News poll on the 13th, the approval rating gap between Vice President Harris and former President Trump was tied at 48% nationwide. In September, Harris led by 5 percentage points. On the same day, an ABC News poll showed both candidates tied at 49% in seven key battleground states.
However, WSJ pointed out that Harris's negative strategy carries risks.
The outlet reported, "Most voters formed their opinions about Trump long ago, but Harris is relatively unknown," adding, "Negative attacks could alienate undecided voters."
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