Vice President Kamala Harris typically spends the Fourth of July weekend at her Los Angeles home with her husband, Doug Emhoff, grilling hot dogs for Secret Service agents. But as concerns about President Biden's age and mental health have simmered in recent days, Harris has been traveling the country, relentlessly defending his record in interviews and before crowds of supporters.
Appearing at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Saturday, neither Ms. Harris nor her interviewer, Essence Chief Executive Caroline A. Wanga, mentioned Mr. Biden's shaky reelection campaign or his high-profile interview with ABC News on Friday.
Instead, Ms. Harris took to the stage for a roughly 30-minute conversation in which she recounted her career, delivered scathing criticism of former President Donald J. Trump and touted the Biden administration's accomplishments on issues including Black maternal health, student loans and housing.
“Please understand that we all know,” she said, “that in 122 days, each and every one of us has the power to decide what kind of country we want.”
She warned about Trump's open praise of dictators, his promises of retribution against political opponents and the latitude of new immunity the Supreme Court has granted him.
It's a pivotal moment for Ms. Harris, who has come under increasing scrutiny from Biden as pressure mounts for him to step down and is beginning to extend to his most likely successor. Ms. Harris made an early surprise appearance at Essence Festival on Friday night, entering the venue singing Beyoncé's “Freedom” after being introduced by comedian Punkie Johnson.
“Let us always celebrate the diversity, depth and beauty of our culture,” Harris said to ringing cheers.
Leaders of several progressive organizations and women's advocacy groups said Friday they are working to raise Harris' profile and highlight her accomplishments regardless of whether Biden leaves office.
Polls show that while Vice President Biden remains relatively unknown among the public, she and the issues she champions — such as reproductive rights and gun violence — are highly popular among women, young people and voters of color, groups Biden is trying to reach.
Trump and his Republican allies have also stepped up their criticism of Harris. On his social media site, Truth Social, Trump described her as a “potential new challenger for the Democratic Party” and called her “Laughing Kamala Harris,” a reference to Harris' laugh.
Leaders of UltraViolet, Emily's List and other women's groups issued a joint statement condemning Trump's attacks on Harris and saying they could not bear to see a black woman who is smarter, tougher and more respected than her “receiving the accolades she deserves for her leadership.”
Ms. Harris' appearance in New Orleans was part of an effort to energize Black voters, a constituency crucial to a Democratic victory in November. Before being interviewed onstage, Ms. Harris posed for photos with members of the Congressional Black Caucus at a booth set up by national Democratic groups to raise voter registration and awareness of the Biden administration's accomplishments.
Despite their high praise for Harris, some attendees said they would prefer the party endorse Biden for president.
“I think he still has the heart to lead this country,” Jeanetta Hawkins, 62, a small business owner from St. Louis, said of Biden.
Tiffany Altman, 36, brought a copy of Harris' book, “The Truth We Hold,” to get her autograph. Watching Biden in the presidential debates was “painful,” she said. But she was devastated when Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016 and questioned whether the U.S. was ready for a black woman in the White House.
While these sentiments have been common, recent studies have shown that women and non-white candidates win elections at rates equal to or greater than their white male counterparts.
