By Tribune Staff
In a rally stop in Atlanta July 30, Vice President Kamala Harris wasted no time getting down to business outlining her priorities and the stark contrast between her vision for America versus that of former President Donald Trump.
Harris entered the stage with a big smile greeted by hundreds of thousands who showed up in support of her bid to secure the Democratic nomination for president. The rally included a performance by mega rap artist Megan the Stallion and remarks by Quavo from the rap trio Migos. Also in attendance were U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, Mayor Andre Dickens, Representative Nikema Williams and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
Tyler Green, a young entrepreneur, climate leader and graduate of Morehouse College, introduced Harris to the 10,000-plus crowd.
“I couldn’t be prouder to invite my fellow HBCU alum back to the beautiful city of Atlanta,” Green said during the introduction. “I am proud we have a vice president leading with the same excellence, leadership and service that our institutions have instilled in us.”
Harris thanked the crowd for their support and quickly took on Trump.
“I was an elected attorney general, an elected district attorney and, before that, a courtroom prosecutor,” she said. “In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds; predators who abuse women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So, hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.”
She also added, “the momentum in this race is shifting and there are signs Donald Trump is feeling it,” as she called out Trump for backing out of a Sept. 10 debate he had previously agreed on before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
“It’s interesting that they don’t want to debate but he and his running mate seem to have a lot to say about me,” she continued. “Well Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider joining me on the debate stage because as the saying goes, if you got something to say, say it to my face.”
Harris’ visit to Georgia is a strategy to energize the battleground state where, during the rally, she laid out her priorities if elected the next president including tackling bipartisan border security legislation she said Trump dropped the ball on when he was in office.
“Like my friend Quavo would say, ‘he does not walk it, like he talks it.’ Donald Trump does not care about border security, he only cares about himself,” she said. “When I become president, I will sign the Border Security bill into law and show Donald Trump what real leadership looks like.”
Other priorities outlined by Harris included a commitment to building up the middle class that allow opportunities for individuals and families of all makeups to build businesses, own homes, create intergenerational wealth, have access to affordable health care and unfair corporate price gouging. Additionally, she shared her vision for addressing safety and gun violence, environmental protections and permanently securing voting rights.
“There are two candidates in this race: one focused on the future and one focused on the past,” Harris said. “We are not going back because ours is a fight for the future.”
Harris further stoked the crowd by asking, “Do you believe in freedom? Do you believe in opportunity? Do you believe in the promise of America? And are you ready to fight for it? Because when we fight, we win.”
