By AFP

US presidential hopeful Kamala Harris launched a blistering critique of Donald Trump on Tuesday, marking her largest campaign rally yet with a declaration that momentum is shifting in the White House race. Harris challenged Trump to debate her face-to-face, asserting that the fight for the presidency is heating up.

During her visit to Atlanta, Georgia, Vice President Harris addressed approximately 10,000 supporters in a packed arena, signaling a renewed Democratic focus on the swing state. The trip comes as Democrats view Georgia as competitive once more, following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the 2024 election.

Harris, now the presumptive Democratic nominee, aimed to broaden the party’s battleground map and energize young Black voters. In a rousing 20-minute speech, she promised that Americans “are not going back” to Trump’s “failed policies.”

“The baton is in our hands,” Harris declared to enthusiastic applause. “We have a fight in front of us… And we are the underdogs in this race.”

Harris’s campaign surged after Biden’s exit on July 21, with widespread party support and a fundraising boost of $200 million.

“The momentum in this race is shifting, and Donald Trump feels it,” she stated.

Trump recently announced he would not follow tradition by debating Harris, instead opting to hurl insults, calling her “crazy” and a “bum.”

“Well Donald, I hope you’ll reconsider and meet me on the debate stage,” Harris retorted to cheers. “If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”

Drawing on her experience as a former prosecutor and California attorney general, Harris added, “I know Donald Trump’s type. I’ll put my record against his any day.”

With just 98 days to the election, Harris is under pressure to announce her vice-presidential pick. Although she hasn’t made a decision yet, her campaign plans to visit key battlegrounds next week, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada.

In her first television ad since Biden’s withdrawal, Harris outlined her economic goals, such as expanding affordable healthcare and addressing rising consumer costs. She also criticized Trump for his “extreme abortion bans” and his lack of commitment to border security, accusing him of prioritizing political gain over national interests.

“The path to the White House runs right through this state,” Harris emphasized, underscoring Georgia’s strategic importance.

Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, plan to counter Harris’s efforts with their rally in Atlanta on Saturday. “Kamala Harris and her complicit cronies have made the great people of Georgia pay a hefty price for their woke policies,” the Trump campaign claimed.

As Democrats reassess their strategy, focusing on both Rust Belt and Sunbelt states, the race is poised to be fiercely contested. Harris’s rally featured a performance by hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion, adding a touch of Atlanta flair to energize younger voters.