Vice President Harris visits an ice cream shop on July 19 in Washington. On Saturday, she spoke about LBGTQ rights at a fundraiser in Provincetown, Mass.
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Nathan Howard/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
PROVINCETOWN, Mass./REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — Vice President Harris returned to the campaign trail this weekend, raising money for the Biden-Harris ticket on Cape Cod while President Biden remained in be pushed aside by a COVID case at his beach house in Delaware.
In a large tent near the harbor, hundreds of Democratic donors cheered and waved to fans emblazoned with the words “Veeptown” — a play on P-Town, the name of the beach town known for its history and LGBTQ community.
Harris focuses on former President Donald Trump’s policies that eliminated anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people health care, hired employeesAnd student and his ban transgender military service.
She said Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, “will definitely be a rubber stamp for Trump’s extreme anti-LGBTQ agenda,” citing legislation he proposed that would ban gender-affirming care. That prompted one of the sponsors to shout, “Go get ’em, Kamala!”
Vice President Harris visits supermodel Tyra Banks’ new ice cream shop with her granddaughters on July 19, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Erin Schaff/POOL/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
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Erin Schaff/POOL/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
Harris in the spotlight as Biden sidelined
The fundraising comes as the future of Biden’s campaign is in doubt. A disastrous debate with Trump three weeks ago has fueled The chorus of calls grew louder and louder. from Democratic officials and donors to Biden, 81, to end his bid for a second term and let a younger candidate take over. Biden has insisted he will continue running.
Harris has not publicly participated in the debateand did not mention it in her speech in Provincetown. She praised Biden, saying she “witnessed” that he fights for “everyday working Americans.”
But some lawmakers who have called for Biden to resign have testified that Harris should be at the top of the list.
On Saturday, Rep. Mark Takano, D-California, called her a “resilient prosecutor” with the experience to defeat Trump. “Joe, I love and respect you. But the stakes are too high to fail. It’s time to pass the torch to Kamala,” Takano said in a statement.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. — who has not called for Biden to drop out of the race — said Harris would unite the party if Biden changed his mind, and praised her for her work on economic issues and abortion rights. “Look — if you’re running against a convicted felon, a prosecutor like Kamala is actually a good person to bring that case,” Warren said on MSBNC.
President Biden leaves Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware after he was forced to leave the campaign trail due to testing positive for COVID.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/AP
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Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP/AP
Biden has said he will return to the race this week.
Biden has pushed back against concerns about his age and abilities, holding a series of events in swing states, as well as a solo press conference and a handful of interviews. But that came to a halt when he tested positive for COVID last week.
Biden’s symptoms are improving, his doctor said in a memo Saturday, although he still has a cough. Since the Republican National Convention ended, the pace of Democrats’ calls for Biden to leave has increased.
Campaign spokesman Michael Tyler told reporters on Saturday that the president would resume campaigning next week after receiving clearance from his doctor.
