By Nandita Bosé and Stephanie Kelly
WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pennsylvania (Reuters) – Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris made a direct appeal on Wednesday to Republican voters in this year’s U.S. presidential election, as she highlighted Republican support for her campaign in a battleground county in Pennsylvania. before appearing on conservative-leaning Fox. News.
In Bucks County, outside Philadelphia, Harris emphasized Republican rival Donald Trump’s attempt to reverse his election loss four years ago, when he lost the White House to incumbent President Joe Biden, a senior campaign official said. Harris.
Harris said Trump’s actions violated the U.S. Constitution and, if given the chance, he will violate it again.
“He refused to accept the will of the people and the results of a free and fair election. He sent a mob, an armed mob, to the United States Capitol, where they violently assaulted police officers and law enforcement officials and threatened the life of their own vice president,” Harris said.
More than 100 Republicans joined Harris in Bucks County, including Adam Kinzinger, a former congressman and member of the committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Trump.
“No matter your party, no matter who you voted for last time, there is a place for you in this campaign,” Harris said.
Harris led Republican candidate Trump by a marginal margin of 46% to 43% in a recent Reuters poll.
Trump will participate on Wednesday in a town hall organized by Univision. And Fox News will air a Trump town hall with an all-female audience.
Harris has previously tried to court voters disillusioned by Trump. Earlier this month, former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, urged voters to put country before party and vote for Harris, saying Trump was unfit to lead the United States.
He reiterated his promise Wednesday to nominate a Republican for his Cabinet if elected.
Harris’ speech took place near where George Washington and thousands of American soldiers crossed the Delaware River, preparing for a Revolutionary War victory over British troops, and came as early voting began in the area on Tuesday.
Biden beat Trump in Bucks County by about 17,000 votes in the 2020 election, while former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beat Trump in the 2016 election by fewer than 3,000 votes, according to county data.
This summer, Republicans surpassed Democrats in voter registration for the first time in a generation. According to the latest data, Republicans currently have about 3,500 more voters in the county than Democrats.
Also on Wednesday, Harris will be interviewed on Fox News, which paid a $787 million settlement in 2023 to a voting machine company that sued her over false allegations by some Fox hosts of vote tampering in the 2020 presidential election. .
He’s also considering teaming up with podcaster Joe Rogan, whose show reaches millions of men across the political spectrum, and who has joked that a “puppeteer” was behind Harris’ strong debate performance against Trump.