ATLANTA – Vice President Kamala Harris went on offense against former President Donald Trump Thursday night at a star-studded Get Out the Vote rally in Clarkston, the most diverse city in Georgia.
In what has become the Democrat’s closing argument against Republican Trump just 12 days away from Election Day, Harris warned that an “unhinged” Trump poses a danger to American freedom. She cited a New York Times interview with retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, who served as Trump’s chief of staff, in which Kelly said Trump privately praised Nazi leader Adolph Hitler.
“He’s calling Americans ‘the enemy within’ and would use the military to go after them,” Harris said.
Harris painted a sharp contrast between what will happen three months from now with Trump in the Oval Office versus her.
“It is either Donald Trump stewing over his enemies list or me working for you, checking off my to-do list,” she told her cheering audience. “You have the power to make that decision.”
For the first time in the campaign, former President Barack Obama joined Harris on the stage. He, too, spent much of his speech attacking Trump and urging voters not to give in to the frustrations they have felt since a historic pandemic drove up prices and put many Americans out of work.
“I get that people are looking to shake things up,” Obama said. “What I cannot understand is why anybody would think Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that’s good for you.”
While Harris was sharpening her attacks on Trump, she also reemphasized policy positions she has taken throughout the campaign. She pledged to cut taxes for 100 million middle-class Americans as opposed to Trump’s plan to double down on the tax cuts primarily benefiting the wealthy that he pushed through Congress during his first year in office.
Harris also vowed to lower health-care costs.
“Health care should be a right, not just a privilege for those who can afford it,” she said.
The vice president also called for codifying into law the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. The current version of the high court overturned that ruling two years ago, leading many Republican-led states to enact strict limits on abortion.
In Georgia, abortions are prohibited after a fetal heartbeat is detected, typically about six weeks into a pregnancy.
“Women are being denied care during miscarriages,” Harris said. “Some are only being treated once they develop sepsis.”
As she did at a rally in Atlanta last week, Harris cited the case of Amber Thurman, a pregnant Georgia woman who died two years ago after seeking an emergency abortion. Medical care for Thurman was delayed because her doctors were worried about violating the Georgia law.
Thursday night’s rally featured several stars from the entertainment world, including actor Samuel L. Jackson; film director Spike Lee, an Atlanta native; and Tyler Perry, an Atlantan who rose from poverty to become an actor and filmmaker and now owns a large movie studio. Rock legend Bruce Springsteen performed three songs.
The Trump campaign criticized Harris for bringing in the entertainers, calling it a sign that the Harris campaign is struggling. Polls show Trump leading Harris in Georgia, although in many cases it’s within the margin of error.
“The Trump-Vance campaign is winning because, unlike Kamala Harris, we aren’t relying on out-of-touch celebrities to deliver our message,” said Anna Kelly, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. “From bars to football games to manufacturing facilities, President Trump and Senator (JD) Vance meet people where they are and speak about the issues that matter like rising prices, the open border, and violent crime.”