NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris raised $27 million at a packed fundraiser in New York City on Sunday, her largest fundraising total since taking over President Joe Biden’s campaign ticket, according to a Harris campaign aide.
Although Harris has far more money than former President Donald Trump, that money is needed to compete with the costly advertising of deep-pocketed outside groups that support Trump, said the adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the details of the private fundraising.
The spectacular fundraiser took place at Cipriani Wall Street in a massive Greek Revival-style ballroom with over a dozen columns. Much of the crowd stood shoulder to shoulder as Harris taunted Trump for refusing to debate her again.
“My opponent seems to be looking for an excuse,” Harris told the crowd. “I firmly believe that we owe it to the American people, to the voters, to meet again before Election Day.”
She later reiterated this when she told reporters after landing in Washington: “We have more to discuss.”
Trump declined further debates, saying on Saturday: “It’s just too late.”
“The election has already begun,” he said at a rally in Wilmington, North Carolina. The first voters cast their ballots last week in Minnesota, South Dakota and Virginia, the states with the first opportunities for early in-person voting. About a dozen more states will follow by mid-October.
Harris also announced that she will deliver a speech on Wednesday outlining her economic vision, saying that “we can do more to invest in the hopes and aspirations of the American people while addressing the challenges they face.”
She cited the high cost of home ownership and persistently high grocery bills as examples.
“I grew up as a middle-class child and will never forget where I came from,” she said.
By fleshing out her economic agenda in greater detail, Harris can address an issue that matters most to voters after rising prices during Biden’s presidency and distance herself from the president’s economic track record. Trump has criticized her for being leisurely to offer detailed policy proposals of her own since rising to the top of the ballot.
Harris has said she will support tax cuts for the middle class and tax increases on the wealthy and corporations. She has also embraced Trump’s proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, although she would limit her plan to low- and middle-income taxpayers. She has also criticized Trump’s plan to impose high tariffs on most imported goods, which she said would dramatically enhance the cost of goods.
Neither Harris nor Trump has a decisive lead with the public on economic issues, according to the latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll suggests Harris is gaining ground on an issue that was once a clear strength of Trump’s.
About 4 in 10 registered voters think Republican Trump will do a better job of handling the economy, while a similar number say the same about the Democratic vice president, the poll found. About 1 in 10 voters trust neither candidate, and a similar share have the same level of trust in them.
The recent poll shows that about 8 in 10 voters consider the economy to be one of the most vital issues when choosing their candidate, far overshadowing other vital issues such as health care and crime.
Harris has moved away from the liberal positions she advocated during her ill-fated 2020 presidential campaign, including proposals to ban fracking, introduce a national health care system and decriminalize illegal border crossings.
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Cooper reported from Phoenix.
