Kamala REPETITS one of Biden’s ‘classic’ gaffes as she speaks at an Arizona rally – and makes a surprising admission about rival Donald Trump
Kamala Harris nearly made an embarrassing misstep when she was greeted with enthusiasm at a rally in Arizona.
The 59-year-old vice president leapt up a flight of stairs in a packed stadium in Glendale and appeared to catch her foot but didn’t fall, a blunder President Biden has made several times in office.
She was welcomed to the stage by her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who took the opportunity to criticize Donald Trump several times in his speech.
However, the Democratic candidate made a surprising admission about Trump and the current state of the presidential race.
While experts say Trump’s campaign has lost steam after Harris replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket, she surprisingly warned her supporters that they are still the “underdogs” in the election.
Kamala Harris received a raucous reception at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, on Friday
Harris nearly made an embarrassing faux pas when she jumped up the stairs at a rally in Arizona
Kamala’s rally in Arizona coincided with Trump’s own rally in deep-red Montana, which was postponed after his plane had to make an emergency landing earlier in the day due to a “mechanical problem.”
After Harris was introduced by Walz, he was quickly interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters in the crowd.
She responded to the interruption by silencing her supporters, saying she wanted to “respect” the voices of protesters and cheering when she publicly called for a “ceasefire” in the Middle East.
“Let me just say this, in extension of what I think I heard there,” she said.
“I have been clear: now is the time to conclude a ceasefire and get the hostage deal done.”
According to Harris’ campaign, more than 15,000 people packed the Desert Diamond Arena on Friday, and she was preceded by speakers including Walz and another Democrat on her shortlist for vice president, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
Kelly praised Walz’s military record, as the VP-elect’s record has come under scrutiny in recent days, including accusations that he retired early from the National Guard to avoid deployment.
Harris was introduced by her running mate Tim Walz (right) and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly (left, with his former congresswoman Gabby Giffords)
Kelly, a former Navy fighter pilot, said Walz “served honorably in uniform for decades” and “has brought that experience to everything he’s done since then — fighting for our service members, fighting for veterans and fighting for military families.”
The Arizona senator also compared Walz to Trump, who famously dodged the Vietnam War draft by claiming he had “bony spurs,” saying the former president has “no respect for any of us who wore the uniform.”
The rally comes shortly after Trump held a brief press conference at Mar-A-Lago, where he claimed he draws bigger crowds than Martin Luther King.
As he warmed up the crowd Friday night, Walz referred to Trump’s comment about the large crowd in Arizona, saying, “But it’s not like anybody cares about the size of the crowd or anything.”
The rally comes shortly after Trump held a fraught press conference at Mar-A-Lago, where he claimed he draws bigger crowds than Martin Luther King.
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and Navy pilot, criticized Trump for having “no respect for any of us who have worn the uniform.”
By bringing the rally back to her November election campaign, Harris sought to draw clear contrasts between her campaign and Trump’s.
“Across our country, we are witnessing a full-blown assault on hard-won and hard-won freedoms and rights,” she said.
“The freedom to be safe from gun violence; the freedom to love the person you love openly and proudly; and the freedom for a woman to make her own choices about her own body.”
Harris’ decision to calmly listen to and respond calmly to the pro-Palestine protesters in her audience Friday marks a change in her stance from the situation that unfolded earlier this week at a rally in Detroit.
At that rally, protesters interrupted her speech by chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” which the vice president quickly rejected.
“You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, say so,” she said. “Otherwise, I’ll speak.”
The enthusiasm for Harris at the Arizona rally is emblematic of the dramatic shift the election has undergone in the three weeks since Biden withdrew from the race.
And new polls are showing that shift, as Harris has quickly closed the gap Biden lost in the final weeks of his campaign.
Overall, the race is neck and neck, according to a new CBS News/YouGov poll. Nationally, Harris now leads Trump by 50 percent to 49 percent of likely voters. In the swing states, the race is now tied at 50 percent.
While the two major party nominees are now statistically tied, things looked very different for Democrats just a few weeks ago, when polls showed Trump with a five-point lead over Biden.
The July poll showed Trump with a three-point lead in a hypothetical showdown with Harris, but the vice president appears to have lost his lead since taking the lead.