Harris to target Trump’s virus response in US campaign push

Kamala Harris joins presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on the campaign trail for the second time in two days on Thursday in an appearance that will focus on hammering President Donald Trump’s his response to the coronavirus pandemic.   

 Biden and Harris will receive a briefing on COVID-19 from public health experts and then deliver speeches in Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. The remarks will illustrate the campaign’s role for Harris, the first Black woman and Asian-American on a major-party US presidential ticket. Rather than being tied to any specific target demographic groups, Harris will have three roles to play as a campaign spokeswoman: energizing people to vote and volunteer, outlining Biden’s policy vision and prosecuting the case against Trump, according to a person familiar with the strategy.   

 Trump long played down the risks of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 165,000 Americans - the highest death toll in the world - and thrown tens of millions out of work. The former prosecutor is expected to focus on Trump’s response to the crisis, which has been an effective political argument against Trump for Biden so far.   

 Biden, after introducing Harris’ personal story on Wednesday in their first joint appearance since picking his running mate, quickly moved to talking about the urgency of the moment.   

 Trump, for his part, on Twitter Thursday accused the news media of giving Harris “a free pass despite her Radical Left failures and very poor run in the Democrat Primary.”  
WILMINGTON REUTERS, 
23 Aug, 2020