Republicans launch attack ads on Kamala Harris after Joe Biden 'told key ally he could quit within days'
Kamala Harris has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Joe Biden
REUTERS
Republicans have launched a campaign against Vice President Kamala Harris after she emerged as the frontrunner to replace Joe Biden - who could quit the presidential race within days according to a key ally.
Harris has been a staunch defender of Biden and has pushed back on concerns about his age and apparent deteriorating cognitive abilities.
However, a recent CNN poll has shown that Harris would be more likely to win in key demographics, including ethnic minority voters and independents, if she became the Democrat candidate.
Now, Republicans are seizing on the potential fallout and have taken aim against the Vice President, launching “Stop Kamala” adverts in response.
Kamala Harris has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Joe BidenREUTERS“House Republicans are sharpening our knives if extreme House Democrats dump Joe Biden — or we will remind voters Kamala Harris is next in line if they don’t,” the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) wrote in an announcement.
One advert accuses her of being an “enabler in chief”, featuring clips of the Vice President praising Biden.
She is also accused of being “the architect of the border crisis”, and the spot concludes with “Vote Republican, Stop Kamala”.
“Whether extreme House Democrats call on Joe Biden to step aside or not, Kamala Harris deserves the blame for many of the crises making life unsafe and difficult for American families -- and we plan to make her a prominent feature of the 2024 campaign,” said Will Reinert from the NRCC in a statement.
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Biden could go in just days, according to a key ally
PADemocrats have slammed the GOP campaign as an attempt to score “cheap political points”.
Courtney Rice, a spokesperson for the party, said: “Republicans are fooling themselves if they think the American public will blame anyone besides Donald Trump and his feckless band of Republican extremists and phony moderates who killed a bipartisan border deal - all in an attempt to score cheap political points.”
The campaign comes after a new CNN poll has revealed that Harris was just two points behind Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head - beating Biden and other Democrats considered as replacements.
Harris has not commented on the speculation, only commenting to CBS News: “Look, Joe Biden is our nominee. We beat Trump once, and we’re going to beat him again, period.”
She admitted that Biden had a “slow start” in the debate but insisted “it was a strong finish”.
Harris has been a staunch defender of Biden and has pushed back on concerns about his age and deteriorating cognitive abilities
GettyOn July 2, House Representative Lloyd Doggett became the first congressional Democrat to call for Biden to step aside, stating he was “hopeful” the President “will make the painful and difficult decision to withdraw”.
The Texas Democrat lawmaker said: "While much of his work has been transformational, he pledged to be transitional.
“He has the opportunity to encourage a new generation of leaders from whom a nominee can be chosen to unite our country through an open, democratic process.”
A key ally has revealed to the New York Times that Biden knows he only has mere days to save his candidacy.
The ally said Biden knows his next few appearances must go well if he's to convince the American public that he's fit to take on the job for another four years.
The source told the outlet: “He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place.”