Kamala Harris raises USD 27 million in NY fundraiser, promises economic speech this week

Kamala Harris/ AFP

Vice President Kamala Harris raised USD 27 million at a packed New York City fundraiser on Sunday, her largest fundraising haul since she took over at the top of the ticket from President Joe Biden, according to a Harris campaign aide.

Though Harris has far more money than former President Donald Trump, the money will be needed to compete with pricey advertising by deep-pocketed outside groups that support Trump, said the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private fundraising details.

The blockbuster fundraiser was held at Cipriani Wall Street in a massive Greek Revival ballroom with over a dozen columns. Much of the crowd stood shoulder to shoulder as Harris needled Trump for refusing to debate her again.

"My opponent seems to be looking for an excuse," Harris told the crowd. "I feel very strongly that we owe it to the American people, to the voters, to meet once more before Election Day." She reiterated that later, telling reporters after landing outside Washington, "We have more to discuss." Trump has rejected more debates, saying Saturday that "it's just too late." "Voting is already started," he said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. Voters cast the first in-person ballots last week in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, the states with the first early in-person voting opportunities. About a dozen more states will follow by mid-October.

Harris also said she would deliver a speech Wednesday outlining her economic vision, saying there is "more we can do to invest in the aspirations and ambitions of the American people while addressing the challenges they face." She cited the high cost of home ownership and stubbornly high grocery bills as examples.

"I grew up a middle-class kid and I will never forget where I came from," she said.

By fleshing out her economic agenda in more detail, Harris can address an issue that's front of mind for voters after prices soared during Biden's presidency and distance herself from the president's economic track record. Trump has criticised her for being slow to release detailed policy proposals of her own since she rose to the top of the ticket.

Harris has said she'd push for middle-class tax cuts and tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations, and she adopted Trump's proposal to end taxes on tipped wages, though she'd limit her plan to low- and middle-income taxpayers. She's also criticised Trump's plan to impose large tariffs on most imported goods, which she says would severely raise the cost of goods.

Neither Harris nor Trump has a decisive edge with the public on the economy, according to the latest poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey suggests Harris is gaining ground on an issue that was once a clear strength for Trump.

About 4 in 10 registered voters say Republican Trump would do a better job handling the economy, while a similar number say that about the Democratic vice president, according to the poll. About 1 in 10 voters don't trust either candidate, and a similar share has equal faith in them.

The new poll found that the economy is one of the most important issues for about 8 in 10 voters as they consider which candidate to support, dwarfing other top issues like health care and crime.

Harris has backed away from the liberal positions she took during her ill-fated 2020 presidential campaign, including proposals to ban fracking, establish a single-payer health care system and decriminalize illegal border crossings.

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