Vice President Kamala Harris today touted her background as a prosecutor, saying on her first visit to Wisconsin as the expected Dem nominee for president that she knows Donald Trump’s “type” from her experience with predators and fraudsters.
Harris spoke at West Allis Central High School today before a jubilant crowd after President Joe Biden dropped out on Sunday and endorsed her amid concerns about his ability to beat Trump.
The former California AG said she’s taken 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,” Harris said with the crowd chanting her name.
Harris said she took on a for-profit college while Trump ran one that “scammed students,” and while she specialized in sexual abuse cases as a prosecutor, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse.
Harris argued Trump wants to take the country backward, referencing Project 2025, a proposed policy agenda by the Heritage Foundation to advance conservative policies.
“He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class, like we know we got to take this seriously,” Harris said, joking that she couldn’t believe conservatives put it in writing.
She said voters in the 2024 election face a question: “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?”
“The power is with the people. We each have the power to answer that question,” Harris said. “And in the next 105 days … we have work to do. We have doors to knock on, we have phone calls to make, we have voters to register, and we have an election to win.”
Organizers said over 3,000 signed up to attend the rally, and a placard in the gym stated a capacity of 3,600 people. Bleachers were filled on both sides, as well as the area between the podium and the press stands, in addition to a portion of the area behind the press stands.
State Dem Party Chair Ben Wikler, State Superintendent Jill Underly, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, AG Josh Kaul, Milwaukee County Exec David Crowley, Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, also spoke at the rally.
Baldwin, who did not attend a recent rally in Madison with Biden while campaigning outstate, told the crowd Harris’ candidacy marks a new beginning for the Democratic Party and the country.
“As California attorney general, Kamala Harris was the top prosecutor for the largest state in our nation, standing up for the rule of law and taking on perpetrators of all kinds, which is the kind of experience that we may find come in handy these days,” Baldwin said, alluding to Trump’s legal woes.
The former president was convicted of 34 felony counts tied to hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Ahead of Harris’ visit, State GOP Chair Brian Schimming in a press call with U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde and U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, knocked Dems for quickly coalescing behind Harris, arguing Dems want to make sure no other possible candidates stepped forward.
He said seeing state Dem Party Chair Ben Wikler yesterday announce 89 of 95 Dem delegates had pledged to support Harris was “literally comical.”
“This whole situation with pulling Joe Biden back as the nominee and putting Kamala Harris, who’s in town today, as the new nominee for the Democratic Party, was rigged, and frankly, not just against Joe Biden, but to Democratic primary voters and to the people of this country.”
Hovde said Harris and his opponent, Baldwin, need to be asked “real serious questions” about Biden’s “decline.”
“All of you who are on this call know from the rumors that have been coming out of Washington, D.C. for a long time that Joe Biden has been in decline, that he wasn’t capable,” Hovde said. “And yet Vice President Harris and the Democratic establishment hid that from the American public, as did Sen. Tammy Baldwin.”
Attendees express optimism, enthusiasm
Attendees WisPolitics spoke with expressed optimism and renewed enthusiasm with Harris at the helm.
Dave Somerscales, 56, of Milwaukee, said he feels “there is more excitement in the air” with Harris as the candidate.
He predicted a close race and cautioned against overconfidence, saying Democrats will have to do a lot of work to win.
Sandra Smith, 65, of West Allis, came to the rally in a shirt that read “Grab ‘em by the ballot; Nasty women vote.”
She said she’s “very excited” about Harris as the presumptive nominee, and cited Biden’s endorsement of her.
“If Joe trusts her, I’m all in,” she said.
Raj Pati, 73, of Cedarburg, said with Harris in the race, he’s now “looking forward to our victory.”
“I know her to be very straightforward, bold, brave, never lose sight of purpose,” he said. “So she will do what we need, which we had lost from 2016-2020.”
“He would not go away,” he said, referencing Trump. “This is it. That’s his last hurrah.”
Felesia Martin, 58, of Milwaukee, said Harris’ speech was “right where middle-class Americans are, and all Americans are, who are for democracy and preserving our freedoms.”
She said Harris brings young energy and will build on what Biden has started.
“It was right on point, and she’s what we needed,” she said of the speech. “The enthusiasm was out of sight, through the roof. And that is what we needed. Bringing that young energy. Building on the successes that President Joe Biden has brought to us here in America and getting ready to just take it to another level.”
John Young, 53, of Wisconsin Dells, said he was pleased by the optimism and energy in Harris’ speech.
“I agree with her on policy issues. I knew that coming in, but I wanted to see those other dynamics and I think they’re there,” he said.
Ralph Sirmons, 59, of Sun Prairie, said he was initially upset when U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Town of Vermont, called on Biden to step down from another bid.
“Why are you doing that when we’re supposed to be together,” he said he wrote to Pocan. But after Biden dropped out, he said he called to apologize and is pleased with Harris.
He added it’s time for a woman to lead the nation.
“Men have messed things up enough,” he quipped.
Mary Tutkowski, of Greenfield, said Harris has good experience for the White House, having served as vice president and as a prosecutor.
But she said she feels bad about the way Biden was treated, adding there was nothing wrong with his mind, just his delivery.
“I think he would have had a great second term,” she said.
Younger voters WisPolitics talked to said Harris brought new enthusiasm to the race.
River Lantto, 18, of Sheboygan, said ahead of the speech he was displeased with a Biden-Trump matchup and that he feels Democrats now have a chance to win.
He added the change is starting to build excitement among younger people.
“I’m seeing a very big change in the way people my age are talking about the election,” he said.
Brady Coulthard, 24, a West Allis resident and candidate for the 14th AD, said Harris’ speech was “fantastic.”
“I think we are more than energized to win, and Kamala did a fantastic job.” he said.
He said he was grateful Biden stepped aside.
“I think it was the right decision,” Coulthard said. “I thank Joe Biden for his choice to do that, and I’m excited that Kamala stepped up to the job. She’s the right choice.”
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