WASHINGTON. With President Joe Biden’s abrupt withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race and endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor, former President Donald Trump’s campaign is rapidly adjusting its strategy to confront a new challenger. Trump, confident in his ability to defeat Harris, has already outlined his campaign’s approach to counter her potential candidacy.
In an interview with CNN, Trump asserted, “Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden would have been,” reflecting his campaign’s belief that Harris presents a less formidable opponent. Trump’s campaign had reportedly been preparing for the possibility of facing Harris if she emerged as the Democratic nominee.
The Trump campaign plans to tightly associate Harris with Biden’s policies, particularly criticizing his immigration stance, which Republicans argue has led to a surge in illegal crossings at the southern border. Additionally, Trump’s campaign will focus on economic issues, leveraging public discontent over high food prices, fuel costs, and elevated interest rates that have impacted home affordability.
“She’s the co-pilot of the Biden vision,” a Trump adviser, who requested anonymity, said during last week’s Republican National Convention. “If they want to switch to Biden 2.0 and have ‘Cackling’ Kamala at the top of the ticket, we’re good either way,” the adviser added, using a derogatory term for Harris’s laugh that the campaign has adopted.
Make America Great Again Inc, a super PAC supporting Trump, announced it would pivot its advertising strategy. The group will replace previously planned anti-Biden ads in battleground states like Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania with new ads targeting Harris. One such ad accuses Harris of concealing Biden’s incapacity and blames her for issues like “a border invasion, runaway inflation, [and] the American Dream dead.”
At a rally in Michigan on Saturday, Trump previewed the type of rhetoric he plans to use against Harris. “I call her laughing Kamala. You ever watch a laugh? She’s crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh. She’s crazy. She’s nuts,” Trump said.
The Democratic Party is still determining its next steps, and Harris’s nomination is not yet assured despite Biden’s endorsement. Her potential candidacy introduces new dynamics to the race, including a significant generational and cultural contrast with Trump. As a 59-year-old Black and Asian-American woman, Harris represents a shift from Biden’s presidency and may energize younger voters and people of color who were less mobilized under Biden.
Rodell Mollineau, a Democratic strategist, noted that Harris’s background as a former prosecutor and California Attorney General could help her effectively challenge Trump. “She would be able to mount a more energetic campaign with excitement from younger voters and people of color,” Mollineau said.
Republican strategist Chip Felkel warned that the Trump campaign should not underestimate Harris’s appeal, noting that she could attract different voter segments than Biden. Recent polls, including a July 15-16 Reuters/Ipsos survey, show Harris and Trump tied at 44% in a hypothetical matchup.
As the Trump campaign prepares for a potential Harris candidacy, MAGA Inc. CEO Taylor Budowich highlighted their readiness for various Democratic outcomes. “MAGA Inc is prepared for all outcomes of a Democrat Party who has only brought chaos and failure,” Budowich said.
Political consultant Jeanette Hoffman suggested that while Harris brings new contrasts to the race, her close association with Biden could be a disadvantage. “Harris doesn’t represent the change America is looking for,” Hoffman said.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
