Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is facing some turbulence as former President Donald Trump gains momentum in traditionally blue states. This comes after Harris’s failure to achieve the typical post-convention bump in support—a critical boost that most modern campaigns rely on.
To counter this, the Harris campaign is switching gears and sending the vice president and her top surrogates—Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and husband Doug Emhoff—on a defensive tour through blue states. This pivot is noteworthy given the proximity of the election, just two months away, and the fact that Harris is devoting time to states that should have been safely in her column.
Between today and Wednesday, the three Harris-Walz principals (Kamala, Tim, Doug) will be doing events in NH, MN & VA, the 3 Blue states Trump seemed to have put in play right before Biden got out. (No NM or NJ….yet). Coincidence? https://t.co/IqCyPlbByf
— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) September 2, 2024
On Wednesday, Harris is scheduled to visit New Hampshire, where she holds only a slim four-point lead, according to an Emerson College/WHDH survey taken before the convention. Meanwhile, Governor Walz will be in Minnesota, his home state, where Trump has significantly closed the gap, cutting Harris’s lead from ten points to just five, according to KTSP/SurveyUSA polls. Doug Emhoff is also hitting the trail, heading to Virginia, another state where Trump has been polling unexpectedly well.
This defensive strategy follows a weekend of swing state visits and a curious multi-day tour of Georgia by Harris and Walz that left many political analysts scratching their heads. The campaign’s focus on blue states this late in the game suggests they’re trying to shore up support where they thought they’d be safe.
Agreed! Now, to be clear, @DouglasEmhoff is raising money in Virginia & @Tim_Walz of course lives in Minnesota. But it still seems like a lot of activity in “safe” states. @KamalaHarris to New Hampshire alone is very interesting. If the reason is NOT bc D internals show the… https://t.co/mbNEFQljUd
— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) September 2, 2024
The timing of these visits couldn’t be worse for the Harris campaign, which is already reeling from a series of missteps, most notably their ill-fated attack on 13 Gold Star families. That move backfired spectacularly, drawing widespread condemnation and only adding to the campaign’s troubles.
In a further sign that the campaign is struggling, there are reports that they plan to bring Joe Biden back onto the campaign trail—a move that many see as a last-ditch effort to stabilize the ticket.
Adding to the campaign’s woes, an ABC News/Ipsos poll revealed on Sunday that Harris received “no overall bounce in support” after formally accepting her party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention. This lack of momentum is a troubling sign for a campaign that’s facing increasing pressure from all sides.
