Harris’ fundraising haul is also more than what the 81-year-old Biden garnered in the first three months of the year.
Roughly two-thirds of that amount came from first-time donors, according to her campaign, which says it has also signed up more than 170,000 new volunteers – in another indication of the enthusiasm Democrats have now they believe they have a chance to defeat Trump.
But whether the 59-year-old vice president can sustain the momentum is an open question, particularly amid widespread questions about her past performances, her ability to tackle the border crisis, or her ability to confront cost-of-living pressures in the US.
“As vice president, Harris is inextricably tied to an unpopular administration and will be on defence on key issues like inflation and immigration, and in most of the polling data we’ve seen such far, Harris does not significantly outperform Biden,” says Doug Kriner, professor of government and policy at Cornell University.
“A Harris candidacy may re-energise the base – but it is far from certain that she will show greater appeal to swing voters.”
Trump, meanwhile, seemed strangely rattled about the shift to Harris, claiming that the media was rallying for her as the polls narrowed.
Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally over the weekend.Credit: AP
Despite claiming after his assassination attempt that he wanted to unify the country, Trump instead lamented that Harris, a former prosecutor, was supposedly being compared to Margaret Thatcher by the media.
“Three months ago she was thought of so badly, [the media] were just killing her,” he said of the vice president.
“And now they’re trying to make her into a – let’s say – Margaret Thatcher. I don’t think so. It’s not going to happen.
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“Margaret Thatcher didn’t laugh like that. Did she? If she did, she wouldn’t have been Margaret Thatcher,” the Republican added, labelling his rival “Laughin’ Kamala Harris”.
As the race for the White House intensifies, Harris’ campaign said it held about 2300 organising events in battleground states this weekend. Meanwhile, a myriad of would-be running mates have spent the weekend taking part in a not-so-subtle audition while she considers whom to choose.
Among the main contenders are Walz, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
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