Harris tells roaring Wisconsin crowd November election is 'a choice between freedom and chaos'

WEST ALLIS, Wisconsin (AP) — A roaring crowd of battleground state voters greeted Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday as she opened her public case against Republican former President Donald Trump by declaring November's election will be "a choice between freedom and chaos.”

“In this campaign, I promise you, I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week,” Harris said. “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by, but to get ahead.”

Harris arrived in the Milwaukee area having locked up nomination support from Democratic delegates after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid on Sunday. It was her first campaign rally since she jumped into the race just two days ago with Biden’s endorsement.

The event reflected a vibrancy that had been lacking among Democrats in recent weeks, and Harris was intent on projecting a sense of steady confidence about the November election. She's pulled in $100 million in donations since Sunday afternoon and on Tuesday picked up the backing of more Democratic officials and political groups, including congressional leaders Charles Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.

By stopping in Wisconsin, Harris was putting down a marker in one of the “blue wall” states along with Michigan and Pennsylvania that Democrats see as essential for securing a presidential victory.

The visit comes a week after the Republican National Convention wrapped up in the city and as Harris works to sharpen her message against the GOP nominee with just over 100 days until Election Day.

Harris' trip to the state was a sharp contrast to Biden's July 6 visit, when he was trying to reassure Democrats who were wary after his troubling performance in the June 27 debate against Trump. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is up for reelection this year, had skipped the Biden event, but she spoke before Harris on Tuesday.

Harris is leaning into her resume as a former district attorney and California attorney general, seeking to draw a contrast with Trump who is the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes.

“She’s prepared to meet this moment because she was professionally trained to prosecute a criminal, and unfortunately that’s who the Republicans have put forward,” said Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif.

Harris strode onto the stage Tuesday to the anthem “Freedom” from Beyonce’s “Lemonade” album and set about contrasting herself with Trump.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused 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 said.

Harris cast her campaign as a “people first” endeavor, again aiming to draw a contrast with Trump, who she said represented special interests and corporations.

She also portrayed her rival’s policies as being antiquated and backward looking. “We are not going back,′ she said. “And I’ll tell you why we are not going back. Ours is a fight for the future.” That echoed Barack Obama who frequently deployed the refrain during his 2012 reelection fight to argue against Republican ideas.

Harris' swift ascent over the past few days has required her to vet possible running mates, a process being led by Eric Holder, who was attorney general during Barack Obama's presidency. But her key impact so far has been galvanizing Democrats.

Before the Tuesday speech, Diane Walter, 68, of South Milwaukee said she was thrilled that Harris is the candidate.

“I’ve been a Democrat my whole life," Walter said. "She’s energizing the party again.”

Tevin Humphrey, 21, came with his mother Myeesha Johnson, 41, and described the vice president as “a great figure to look up to.”

“She’s a better representative of the diversity we’re looking for,” he said.

Trump and his campaign have quickly turned most of their focus on Harris and have asserted that they were prepared for the change and it did not alter their plans.

The former president has nicknamed the vice president “Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” accused her of not being tough enough on crime as a prosecutor and sought to bind her to the administration’s policies on the border as he seeks to make immigration a focus of his campaign.

But there are signs that Trump seems to be unhappy about facing the younger vice president rather than making his case against the aging president. Twice since Biden dropped out, Trump has said the planned second presidential debate should not be hosted by ABC News and suggested it be moved to Fox News, which has a perception of being friendlier to him.

Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff, at an appearance in Washington, said he was unimpressed by Trump's attacks, telling reporters Tuesday, “That’s all he’s got?”

In addition to Baldwin, Harris was joined by major elected officials in Wisconsin, including Gov. Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler.

Republican leaders in Wisconsin, for their part, branded Harris as an “extreme liberal” who is out of step with most voters in the swing state.

"Kamala Harris’ favorables are as bad as Joe Biden’s,” said Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming at a news conference ahead of the Harris event at a high school outside of Milwaukee. “So they are exchanging one bad candidate for another bad candidate in the hope that the people of this state and this country don’t notice where she actually stands on the issues.”

——

Associated Press writer Josh Boak reported from Washington. AP writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed.

Follow the AP's coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

Supports hold up signs in support of Vice President Kamala Harris as she campaigns for President as the presumptive Democratic candidate during an event at West Allis Central High School on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in West Allis, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns for President as the presumptive Democratic candidate during an event at West Allis Central High School, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in West Allis, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns for President as the presumptive Democratic candidate during an event at West Allis Central High School, Tuesday, July 23, 2024, in West Allis, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Vice President Kamala Harris waves as she boards Air Force Two following a campaign event, in Milwaukee, Wis., Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool via AP)

Vice President Kamala Harris poses for a selfie with Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., as she arrives in Milwaukee, Wisc., Tuesday, July 23, 2024. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool via AP)

Vice President Kamala Harris waves while boarding Air Force Two as she departs on campaign travel to Milwaukee, Wisc., Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool via AP)

Vice President Kamala Harris waves before boarding Air Force Two as she departs on campaign travel to Milwaukee, Wisc., Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. (Kevin Mohatt/Pool via AP)

Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, left, talks with Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, as they wait for the arrival of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, July 10, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff address staff at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., Monday, July 22, 2024. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Del., Monday, July 22, 2024. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

PARIS (AP) — The United States equestrian team won three more medals in Paralympics dressage on Saturday, and Fiona Howard and Rebecca Hart clinched their third gold medals of the Paris Games.

The Paralympic debutant Howard won the Grade II individual freestyle and the veteran Hart won it in Grade III. Earlier, teammate Kate Shoemaker claimed bronze in Grade IV.

Riders compete in five grades, with Grade I for the most severely impaired riders.

Howard and Hart previously won individual golds this week and helped the U.S. win the team event on Friday.

American swimmer Jessica Long extended her mammoth Paralympics medal collection to 31 with gold in the S8 100-meter butterfly.

She won in 1 minute, 10.59 seconds at La Défense Arena, finishing one second clear of Viktoriia Ishchiulova. Britain's Alice Tai was third.

The 32-year-old Long also won the women's 400 freestyle on Wednesday.

Her Paralympic career started when she was 12 and won three golds at the 2004 Athens Games.

S8 is for swimmers with the absence of limbs. Long is a double amputee.

AP Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games

Jessica Long, of the U.S., waves to the crowd after winning the gold medal women's 400 freestyle S8 final during the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Jackson Ranger)

Fiona Howard of the U.S. competes in the individual Freestyle Event - Grade II at the Château de Versailles at the 2024 Paralympics, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Kileigh Kane)

Rebecca Hart of the U.S. competes at the Individual Freestyle Event - Grade III at Château de Versailles at the 2024 Paralympics, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Kileigh Kane)