Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event on Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C.
The vice president says her policies will prioritize workers over the wealthy.
It is aimed at providing a stark contrast to Trump, whose economic proposals so far have tilted more toward extending tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations, freeing businesses from government regulation and punishing foreign competitors with increased tariffs on imported goods.
She described her policies as creating “an opportunity economy” focused on the middle class.
“No child should have to grow up in poverty,” Harris said, adding that “after years of hard work, you should be able to retire with dignity. And you should be able to join a union if you choose.”
“Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency,” she said to applause. “I strongly believe when the middle class is strong, America is strong.”
The move suggests Harris and Democrats believe the election will be won by convincing consumers, battered by three years of rising prices, that a pro-consumer agenda will energize the base.
There are indications that Harris is gaining on Trump on the issue of the economy, an area where the former president enjoyed an advantage over President Joe Biden before he departed from the race last month.
Earlier Friday, the University of Michigan released its consumer sentiment survey for August. The preliminary results show a slight uptick in overall sentiment but a marked increase among Democratic respondents. All told, the survey shows Harris outperforming Trump on the economy.
“With election developments dominating headlines this month, sentiment for Democrats climbed 6% in the wake of Harris replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee for president,” said survey director Joanne Hsu. “For Republicans, sentiment moved in the opposite direction, falling 5% this month. Sentiment of Independents, who remain in the middle, rose 3%. The survey shows that 41% of consumers believe that Harris is the better candidate for the economy, while 38% chose Trump. In comparison, between May and July, Trump had a 5-point advantage over Biden on the economy.”
Another survey this week from Pew Research Center found Harris edged Trump by 1 point in a poll of 9,201, of which 7,659 were registered voters.
The good tidings come as Harris is set to headline the Democratic National Convention next week in Chicago. Whether they amount to a “honeymoon period” as some GOP strategists have suggested remains to be seen. Trump, for his part, has been holding press conferences and a chat with X owner Elon Musk to keep his name in the public’s consciousness.
At a press conference at his country club in New Jersey, at which he spoke for more than 45 minutes and took a handful of questions, Trump said he was “very angry” at Harris and repeated his assertion that she is a socialist and worse.
“Kamala Harris is a radical California liberal who broke the economy, broke the border, and broke the world, frankly,” Trump said.
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