On Wednesday afternoon, Kamala Harris stood in front of the vice-presidential residence in Washington DC, and delivered a short but withering attack on her Republican presidential opponent. Calling Donald Trump “increasingly unhinged and unstable,” she cited critical comments made by John Kelly, Trump’s former White House Chief of Staff, in a New York Times interview.
The vice-president quoted Kelly describing Trump as someone who “certainly falls into the general definition of fascists” and who had spoken approvingly of Hitler several times.
She said her rival wanted “unchecked power” and later, during a CNN Town Hall, was asked point-blank if she believed he was a “fascist”. “Yes, I do,” she replied. The Trump campaign quickly accused the Democratic candidate of peddling lies. She is increasingly desperate, spokesman Steven Cheung said, because “she is flailing, and her campaign is in shambles.”
In the home stretch of political campaigns – particularly one as tight and hard-fought as the 2024 presidential race – there is a natural tendency for candidates to turn negative. Attacks tend to be more effective in motivating supporters to head to the polls and disrupting the opposing campaigns.
For Harris, however, the heavier hand toward Trump stands in contrast to the more optimistic, “joyful” messaging of the early days of her campaign.
While she did warn at the Democratic convention of a Trump presidency without the guardrails, Harris largely stepped back from President Joe Biden’s core campaign message that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. According to political strategist Matt Bennett of the centrist Democratic group Third Way, however, it is clear why Harris was quick this time to amplify Kelly’s dark portrait of Trump as a man with authoritarian tendencies. “Everything she does now is tactical,” he said. “The imperative was to make sure as many voters as possible know about what Kelly said.”
The vice-president’s latest remarks come on the heels of a multi-week strategy by her campaign to appeal to independent voters and moderate Republicans who could be open to supporting the Democratic ticket. The suburbs around the biggest cities in key battleground states – Philadelphia, Detroit, Milwaukee and Phoenix, for instance – are populated by college-educated professionals who have traditionally voted for Republicans but who polls indicate have doubts about returning Trump to the White House.
“Her case for how she wins this thing is to create as broad a coalition as possible and bring over disaffected Republicans – people who just don’t feel that they can vote for Trump again,” Mr Bennett said.
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A Notable Shift in Tone
Harris has always been a passionate advocate for democratic values, but her recent characterization of Trump as a fascist is striking, given the contrast to her earlier years in office. When Harris was first elected vice president, she embraced a message of “joy” and optimism. Her focus was on healing divisions in the country and leading through unity. The symbolism of her inauguration — as the first woman, the first Black woman, and the first South Asian woman to hold the office — carried an air of historic progress and possibility.
However, the political climate has changed dramatically since then. Trump’s reemergence on the political scene and his influence on the Republican Party have prompted many Democratic leaders, including Harris, to sound the alarm about the dangers they believe Trump represents.
The Growing Fear of Authoritarianism
In calling Trump a fascist, Harris is underscoring what many Democrats see as a growing threat of authoritarianism in the United States. From the January 6th Capitol riot to Trump’s continued questioning of the legitimacy of the 2020 election, Harris and others believe that Trump’s actions, and those of his most fervent supporters, reflect a dangerous disregard for democratic norms.
While Trump has always been a polarizing figure, this new label from Harris reflects the heightened stakes of the upcoming election. The vice president is signaling to voters that this is no longer a question of partisan differences but a fundamental struggle over the nature of the American government itself.
Balancing Optimism and Urgency
Harris’s transition from “joy” to warnings about fascism doesn’t mean she’s abandoned hope for a better future. In fact, many see this as an evolution in her approach — a recognition that the fight for democracy requires not just optimism but also vigilance.
For Harris, the stakes of this election are deeply personal as well as political. In her view, the preservation of democratic values such as voting rights, equality, and justice hangs in the balance. By calling out Trump in such stark terms, Harris hopes to rally a broad coalition of voters who may be skeptical of Trump’s influence and concerned about the erosion of democratic norms.
The Broader Impact
Harris’s comments have already sparked debate. Her critics argue that such rhetoric only deepens divisions in an already fractured nation. However, her supporters see it as a necessary step to counter what they view as Trump’s continued assault on democracy.
This new framing — from “joy” to the fight against fascism — may also signal the tone of the broader Democratic campaign in 2024. With Trump leading the Republican primary field, Democrats like Harris are preparing for what could be one of the most consequential elections in modern U.S. history.
As the election season ramps up, Harris’s rhetoric will likely continue to evolve, reflecting the dual need for hope and urgency in the face of what she sees as a critical moment for the future of the country. In an era of heightened political tension, her words carry both the weight of history and the pressures of the present.
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