In their first and perhaps only debate, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris described the state of the country in distinctly different ways. As the two traded jabs, some old false and misleading claims emerged along with some new ones.

Here’s a look.

Trump overstates his economic record

TRUMP: “I created one of the greatest economies in the history of our country. … They’ve destroyed the economy.”

THE FACTS: This is an exaggeration. The economy grew much faster under Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan than it did under Trump. The broadest measure of economic growth, gross domestic product, rose 4% a year for four straight years under Clinton. The fastest growth under Trump was 3% in 2018. The economy shrank 2.2% in 2020, at the end of Trump’s presidency. And a higher proportion of American adults had jobs under Clinton than under Trump. During the Biden-Harris administration, the economy expanded 5.8% in 2021, though much of that reflected a bounce-back from COVID.

Trump’s record on manufacturing jobs examined

HARRIS: “We have created over 800,000 manufacturing jobs. … Donald Trump said he was going to create manufacturing jobs. He lost manufacturing jobs.”

THE FACTS: Those statements are missing context.

There were 12,188,000 manufacturing employees in the U.S. when Biden took office in January 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Preliminary numbers for August 2024 put that number at 12,927,000. That’s a difference of 739,000 — close to the 800,000 number Harris has cited.

Also of note is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of manufacturing employees dropped steeply in April 2020, by more than 1.3 million. Discounting that decline, there were only 206,000 more manufacturing employees in August than there were in March 2020, prior to the pandemic.

Inflation has gone down

TRUMP: “They had the highest inflation perhaps in the history of our country, because I’ve never seen a worse period of time.”

THE FACTS: While praising the strength of the economy under his presidency, Donald Trump misstated the inflation rate under Biden. Inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 after rising steadily in the first 17 months of Biden’s presidency from a low of 0.1% in May 2020. It’s now seeing a downward trend. The most recent data shows that as of July it had fallen to 2.9%. Other historical periods have seen higher inflation, which hit more than 14% in 1980, according to the Federal Reserve.

Trump has distanced himself from Project 2025

HARRIS: “What you’re going to hear tonight is a detailed and dangerous plan called Project 2025 that the former president intends on implementing if he were elected again.”

THE FACTS: Trump has said he doesn’t know about Project 2025, a controversial blueprint for another Republican presidential administration.

The plan was written up by many of his former aides and allies, but Trump has never said he’ll implement the roughly 900-page guide if he’s elected again. He has said it’s not related to his campaign.

Trump on abortions ‘after birth’

TRUMP: “Her vice presidential pick says abortion in the ninth month is absolutely fine. He also says execution after birth, it’s execution, no longer abortion, because the baby is born, is okay.”

THE FACTS: Walz has said no such thing. Infanticide is criminalized in every state, and no state has passed a law that allows killing a baby after birth.

Abortion rights advocates say terms like “late-term abortions” attempt to stigmatize abortions later in pregnancy. Abortions later in pregnancy are exceedingly rare. In 2020, less than 1% of abortions in the United States were performed at or after 21 weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Trump’s taxing and spending plan examined

HARRIS: “What the Wharton School has said is Donald Trump’s plan would actually explode the deficit.”

THE TRUTH: The Penn-Wharton Budget Model did find that Trump’s tax and spending plans would significantly expand the deficit by $5.8 trillion over ten years. But it also found that Harris’ plans would increase the deficit by $1.2 trillion over the same period.

Harris’ record on fracking examined

TRUMP: “If she won the election, fracking in Pennsylvania will end on Day 1.”

THE FACTS: Trump’s statement ignores the fact that without a law approved by Congress, a president can only ban fracking on federal lands.

The federal government owns about 2% of Pennsylvania’s total land, and it is not clear how much of that is suitable for oil or gas drilling.

Republicans have criticized Harris for “flip-flopping” on the issue, noting that Harris said in the 2020 campaign that she opposed fracking, a drilling technique that is widely used in Pennsylvania and other states.

Harris has since said repeatedly that she won’t ban fracking if elected, and she reiterated that in Tuesday’s debate.

Trump shares inflated numbers around migrants and crime

TRUMP: “When you look at these millions and millions of people that are pouring into our country monthly — whereas, I believe, 21 million people, not the 15 people say, and I think it’s a lot higher than the 21 — that’s bigger than New York State … and just look at what they’re doing to our country. They’re criminals, many of these people are criminals, and that’s bad for our economy too.”

FACTS: Trump’s figures are wildly inflated. The Border Patrol made 56,408 arrests of people crossing the border illegally from Mexico in July, the latest monthly figure available. Since Biden took office, the Border Patrol made about 7.1 million border arrests, though the number of people is considerably lower because many of those arrests were repeat crossers.

The Biden administration also permitted legal entry for about 765,000 people on an online app called CBP One at land crossings in Mexico through July. It allowed another 520,000 from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to come by air with financial sponsors. Additionally, an unknown number of people crossed the border illegally and eluded capture.

That doesn’t come close to “millions and millions of people” monthly. …. It is also unproven that “many of these people are criminals.”

There have been high-profile, heinous crimes committed by immigrants. But FBI statistics do not separate out crimes by the immigration status of the assailant, nor is there any evidence of a spike in crime perpetrated by migrants. In 1931, the Wickersham Commission did not find any evidence supporting a connection between immigration and increased crime, and many studies since then have reached similar conclusions.

Trump repeats false claims that noncitizens are being sought to vote

TRUMP: “A lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they’re trying to get them to vote. They can’t even speak English. They don’t even know what country they’re in practically and these people are trying to get them to vote, and that’s why they’re allowing them to come into our country.”

THE FACTS: In recent months, Trump and other Republicans have been repeating the baseless claim that Democrats want migrants to come into the country illegally so they will vote.

There’s no evidence for this, nor is there any evidence that noncitizens illegally vote in significant numbers in this country.

Voting by people who are not U.S. citizens already is illegal in federal elections. It can be punishable by fines, prison time and even deportation. While noncitizens have cast ballots, studies show it’s incredibly rare, and states regularly audit their voter lists to remove ineligible voters from the rolls.

Trump’s comments suggest that not speaking English is somehow prohibitive for voting in the U.S. — and that’s also not the case. In fact, the Voting Rights Act requires certain states to provide election materials in other languages depending on the voting-age population’s needs.

Trump misrepresents crime statistics

TRUMP, criticizing the Biden administration: “Crime is through the roof.”

THE FACTS: In fact, FBI data has shown a downward trend in violent crime since a coronavirus pandemic spike. Violent crime surged during the pandemic, with homicides increasing nearly 30% in 2020 over the previous year — the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records

Violent crime was down 6% in the last three months of 2023 compared with the same period the year before, according to FBI data released in March. Murders were down 13%. New FBI statistics released in June show the overall violent crime rate declined 15% in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. One expert has cautioned, however, that those 2024 figures are preliminary and may overstate the actual reduction in crime.

Trump endorses false rumor about immigrants eating pets

TRUMP: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.”

THE FACTS: There’s no evidence to support the claim, which Trump and his campaign have used to argue immigrants are committing crimes at a higher rate than others.

Authorities in Ohio have said there are no credible or detailed reports to support Trump’s claim.

Jobs created under the Biden administration

TRUMP: “Just like their number of 818,000 jobs that they said they created turned out to be a fraud.”

THE FACTS: This is a mischaracterization of the government’s process of counting jobs. Every year the Labor Department issues a revision of the number of jobs added in a 12-month period from April through March in the previous year. The adjustment is made because the government’s initial job counts are based on surveys of businesses. The revision is then based on actual job counts from unemployment insurance files that are compiled later. The revision is compiled by career government employees with little involvement by politically appointed officials.

National Guard soldiers on Jan. 6

TRUMP, speaking about the Jan. 6 insurrection: “I said I’d like to give you 10,000 National Guard or soldiers. They rejected me. Nancy Pelosi rejected me.”

THE FACTS: That’s false. Pelosi does not direct the National Guard.

Further, as the Capitol came under attack, she and then-Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell called for military assistance, including from the National Guard.

The Capitol Police Board makes the decision on whether to call National Guard troops to the Capitol. It is made up of the House Sergeant at Arms, the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol.

The board decided not to call the guard ahead of the insurrection but did eventually request assistance after the rioting had already begun, and the troops arrived several hours later.

There is no evidence that either Pelosi or McConnell directed the security officials not to call the guard beforehand.

Trump falsely claims China is building ‘massive’ auto plants in Mexico

TRUMP: “They’re building big auto plants in Mexico, in many cases owned by China.”

THE FACTS: It’s not the first time Trump has claimed the Biden administration is allowing Chinese automakers to build factories just across the border in Mexico.

At present, though, industry experts say they know of no such plants under construction, and there’s only one small Chinese auto assembly factory operating in Mexico. It’s run by a company called JAC that builds inexpensive vehicles from kits for sale in that country.

Trump falsely claims evidence shows he won in 2020

TRUMP: “There’s so much proof. All you have to do is look at it.”

THE FACTS: The election was not stolen. The authorities who have reviewed the election — including Trump’s own attorney general — have concluded the election was fair.

Biden’s victory over Trump in 2020 was not particularly close. He won the Electoral College with 306 votes to Trump’s 232, and the popular vote by more than seven million ballots. Recounts in key states affirmed Biden’s victory, and lawsuits challenging the results were unsuccessful.

Trump claims Putin endorsed Harris

TRUMP: “Putin endorsed her last week, said ‘I hope she wins.’”

THE FACTS: Russian President Vladimir Putin did wryly claim last week that Harris was his preferred candidate, but intelligence officials have dismissed the comment as not serious.

U.S. intelligence agencies have said Russia favors Trump, who has openly praised Putin, suggested cutting funds to Ukraine and repeatedly criticized the NATO military alliance.

Harris takes Trump’s ‘bloodbath’ comment out of context

HARRIS: “Donald Trump, the candidate, has said in this election there will be a bloodbath if this and the outcome of this election is not to his liking. Let’s turn the page on that.”

THE FACTS: Trump delivered the line at a speech in March in Ohio in which he was talking about the impact of offshoring on the American auto industry and his plans to increase tariffs on foreign-made cars. It was in reference to the auto industry that he warned of a “bloodbath” if his proposals aren’t enacted.

“If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country,” Trump said.

Trump inflates numbers around new military equipment left in Afghanistan

TRUMP, on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: “We wouldn’t have left $85 billion worth of brand new, beautiful military equipment behind.”

THE FACTS: That number is significantly inflated, according to reports from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which oversees American taxpayer money spent on the conflict.

The $85 billion figure resembles a number from a July 30 quarterly report from SIGAR, which outlined that the U.S. has invested about $83 billion to build, train and equip Afghan security forces since 2001. That funding included troop pay, training, operations and infrastructure along with equipment and transportation over two decades, according to SIGAR reports and Dan Grazier, a defense policy analyst at the Project on Government Oversight.

Only about $18 billion of that sum went toward equipping Afghan forces between 2002 and 2018, a June 2019 SIGAR report showed.

No one knows the exact value of the U.S.-supplied Afghan equipment the Taliban have secured, defense officials have confirmed it is significant.

Trump misrepresents key facts of the Central Park Five case

TRUMP: “They admitted, they said they pled guilty and I said, ’well, if they pled guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately … And they pled guilty, then they pled not guilty.”

THE FACTS: Trump misstated key details of the case while defending a newspaper ad he placed about two weeks after the April 1989 attack in which he called for bringing back the death penalty. Trump wrongly stated that the victim was killed and that the wrongly accused suspects had pleaded guilty.

Trump appeared to be confusing guilty pleas with confessions that the men — teenagers at the time — said they made to police under duress. They later recanted, pleaded not guilty in court and were convicted after jury trials. Their convictions were vacated in 2002 after another person confessed to the crime.

The victim, Trisha Meili, was in a coma for 12 days after the attack but ultimately survived. She testified in court against the wrongly accused suspects, who are now known as the Exonerated Five. In 2002, Matias Reyes confessed to the crime and said he was the lone assailant. DNA testing matched Reyes to the attack, but because of the statute of limitations he could not be charged in connection with it.

Associated Press writers Melissa Goldin, David Klepper, Ali Swenson, Matthew Daly, Chris Rugaber and Tom Krisher contributed to this story.

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released results of a poll of American Muslim voters.

Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and the Green Party’s Jill Stein are tied at around 29%, with 16% of Muslim voters stating they are undecided and 11% planning to vote for former President Donald Trump.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

CAIR conducted the election survey two days after the Democratic National Convention ended last month. The organization said 1,500 people responded to the survey out of a random sample of 40,000 Muslim voters across the nation.

The survey results show that Stein has more support in Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan — while Harris is favored in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

There are an estimated 2.5 million registered Muslim voters in the United States.

More headlines for Sept. 9, 2024:

• American Muslim Diversity Association breaks ground mosque expansion in Sterling Heights
• D’Artillery hosting global artisan pop-up experiences in Hamtramck
• ArabCon kicks off this week at the Ford Performing Arts Center in Dearborn

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Now that the major parties have officially selected their nominees for president and the conventions have passed, how do the two stack up?

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recent polls show Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump following the Democratic National Convention. Now, the attention turns to the first and only scheduled debate between the two — set to take place on Sept. 10.

But what other opportunities lie ahead for the two candidates to make an impact on the presidential race?

To discuss this, Washington Post columnist E.J Dionne, political analyst Jessica Taylor, and WDET reporter and All Things Considered host Russ McNamara joined Created Equal on Thursday.

Guests:

• Jessica Taylor is the Senate and Governors Editor at Cook Political Report.
• Russ McNamara is a reporter and host of All Things Considered at WDET
• E.J. Dionne is the Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University and a columnist for the Washington Post.  He says mocking former President Trump is a new strategy for the democrats.

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Michigan is a battleground state in the upcoming presidential election.

And the state’s Democratic members of Congress say they also feel good about their party’s chances to take back the U.S. House by riding the wave of enthusiasm currently surrounding the Harris-Walz ticket.

That includes Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens, who represents much of Oakland County in the state’s 11th Congressional District

I spoke with Stevens at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday about the political momentum within the Democratic Party and whether they’ll be able to sustain it going into the general election in November.

Listen: Haley Stevens on political sugar high at the DNC, top priorities for the state

The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Haley Stevens: It was certainly so exciting for Democrats all over this country to be in the room with the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, and of course, our former First Lady Michelle Obama. The wisdom, the power of their coupledom, the message that they delivered — which was grounding — and it reminded us that we really have work to do, and we can’t take things for granted. We got to go with the good vibes. We know what’s at stake. And as Michelle Obama said, “we have to do something.”

Quinn Klinefelter: Some of the pundits and so on have said, “can you keep this kind of political sugar high going all the way to the election day?”

HS: Well, we know the seasons are going to change. We’re still in summer. The election’s not until to the fall. Moods change with seasons absolutely. We also know that gravity is real, and it feels as though we’re flying very high. One of the elements of the Harris-Walz ticket that I find very optimistic and important for Democrats, as we’re heading into November though, is the more you get to know the two of them and their vision for our country, the more you like them, the more you like what you’re hearing. It’s practical, it’s real, it’s relatable. Kamala Harris — having worked her way through college, worked in McDonald’s — Tim Walz sleeves rolled up, governor of Minnesota, someone who coached high school sports as well as served in the United States military… I think that that really speaks to people. Whereas JD Vance, President Trump’s runningmate, he’s a wardrobe in search of a bedroom. He doesn’t know who he is. He’s saying one thing one week and another thing the other. And I don’t understand why he’s taking shots at women, and I hear that from voters. I think that’s very real.

When we know that the economy is going to be the most important issue, we should just be focusing on the economy. Kamala Harris is rolling out an economic agenda. She’s not afraid to say the words middle class. I can’t remember the last time I heard Donald Trump say that.

QK: The economy does seem to be the overriding issue for a lot of voters. You talk to some of the people in the metro region, they’ll say, “things were so great when Trump was president, the prices were lower, things were happening.” What would you say to those people?

HS: Look, we’ve got to make sure that people feel a certain way about the Harris-Walz ticket, carrying forward from the administration of President Biden, we see that we have the highest levels of employment in Detroit in over 50 years. We have record new factory growth. We, frankly, as the United States of America are buoying the world’s economy, we also though have to understand it’s very real what people are experiencing at the grocery stores. And so Kamala Harris has put forward a plan to tackle costs, to tackle shrinkflation. And what is the first thing that the Trump-Vance ticket says in response to that? “That’s communism.” Give me a break.

QK: There’s been questions about how either side, if they get in, would be able to pay for these kind of things. I mean, you’re on the front lines in Congress. Where do they get the money from? If there’s tax cuts, if there’s other programs that are going to be going forward, where can the money come to try to pay for some of these things?

HS: Well, it’s certainly very concerning to me that if you look at the previous term, Trump’s approach to global competition was largely to tariff goods. Then the pandemic hit, and as a result, those two events very much increased the cost of goods across the board. So our sugar farmers, their equipment is twice as much as it used to be. Sugar is in how much of our food? — as much as we like it or not — and that’s contributing to rising costs. We do need to be responsible about the pay-fors.

We in the Democratic caucus put forward a rules package when we were in the majority, making sure that we were paying as we go for things, offsetting costs, without slashing programs in the government that are working for people, and also making sure that we weren’t increasing our debt as a result. We have a tax bill that we’re going to be reauthorizing. I want to do that under Kamala Harris, because more tax cuts for large corporations and nothing for middle class workers is not going to work. It’s going to fail people, and people need to know that.

QK: Apart from the economy, what other issues do you see that you think are going to be prime importance in Michigan and Oakland County?

HS: Well, certainly when we talk about the economy, we’re also talking about transportation and housing. Those two issues are inextricable, and they’re deeply important in Oakland County. I also think there’s an undergird certainly around national security and foreign policy and some of the toughness — particularly from independent voters — that they want to see from their next commander in chief on the world stage.

We all have to remember that Donald Trump shoots from the hip. He’s tweeting at world leaders in the middle of the night. He’s very unpredictable. It felt like he was going to lead us into war many times. I see in Kamala Harris, someone who’s going to be tough on national security and is going to take her next chapter of her campaign to communicating how she plans to lead on the world stage.

QK: There has been protests here, obviously, regarding the situation in Gaza, how do you see that playing out, and how do you see that impacting the election as you head in November?

HS: Well, we’re a big tent party, and certainly when people disagree with each other, they’re not chased out. And I think it’s actually a productive and good thing that we have people who are not necessarily on the same page with one another, but are engaging with one another respectfully. What we don’t want to see is see protests taking down the event at hand, which is obviously our Democratic National Convention, leading to hate, leading to violence. None of that’s happening here. The city of Chicago is shining. Michigan is shining here. And as a lawmaker who represents a very diverse population and has had to take tough votes and take tough positions, I’m not here trying to thread a needle in the middle to pretend like I’m going to make everyone happy. Votes are binary. Leadership is oftentimes binary in terms of executive decisions, and that’s what Kamala Harris is showing she’s extended some olive branches, but her positions in the Middle East are clear. 

Use the media player above to listen to the interview with Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens.

Read more:

• Will Democrats’ enthusiasm prove contagious for independent voters?
• Whitmer shares goals for Democratic Party, Michigan ahead of DNC address
• Mike Duggan talks public transit, city’s new solar program at DNC

CHICAGO (AP) — Kamala Harris summoned Americans on Thursday to reject political division and instead chart what she called a “new way forward,” as she accepted her party’s nomination while blending biography with warnings about electing Donald Trump again to the White House.

Taking the stage to a thunderous standing ovation as she closed out the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the vice president argued that her personal story and background as a prosecutor made her uniquely qualified to protect Americans’ interests against a former president she cast as only having his own interests in mind.

“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said. “A chance to chart a new way forward. Not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

The daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris became the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to accept a major party’s presidential nomination and she would become the first female president if elected. Harris did not explicitly reference the historic firsts she would set in her 40-minute speech, and she only mentioned the words “Democrat” or “Republican” in the context of discussing a bipartisan border bill that Trump helped scuttle earlier this year, which she promised to sign into law if elected.

Her address — and the Democratic convention at large — was intended to appeal to a broad swath of Americans, not just partisans already energized by Harris’ ascension after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid. She made several implicit appeals to the large swath of voters who just weeks ago were disaffected with both of their options for the White House, particularly those disaffected with Trump, underscored by the appearances of several people who have broken with the 45th president, while embracing the policies and approach of Biden, the 46th.

She was joined for the traditional balloon drop by a large blended and mixed-race family. Earlier, two of her grandnieces had led the packed United Center in teaching people how to pronounce her name, which means lotus in Sanskrit.

“America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected,” Harris said. “But I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.”

Harris reintroduces herself

Raised primarily by her mother in a small apartment in San Francisco’s East Bay after her parents’ divorce, Harris described being reared as well by friends and caregivers who were “family by love.” She also detailed a key part of her political origin story, when Wanda, her best friend from high school, confided in her that she was being abused by her stepfather and came to live with Harris’ family.

“That is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor. To protect people like Wanda,” Harris said.

Outlining her work as a prosecutor, state attorney general, senator and now vice president, Harris declared, “My entire career I’ve only had one client: the people.” Meanwhile, she said Trump has only ever acted in the interests of “the only client he has ever had: himself.”

As she took the stage, she saw a sea of female delegates and Democratic supporters wearing white — the color of women’s suffrage, the movement that culminated with American women securing the right to vote in 1920.

Harris’ address came on her 10th wedding anniversary to her husband, Doug Emhoff, whom she called “Dougie” on stage and who blew her a kiss from the stands at the start of her remarks.

She and other speakers directly appealed to Republicans

Harris made a direct call to Republicans who don’t support Trump to put aside party labels and to support her over Trump, who denied his loss to Biden in the 2020 election, which inspired the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.

“I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans,” Harris said. “I promise to be a president for all Americans to hold sacred America’s constitutional principles, fundamental principles, from the rule of law and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.”

The convention granted a prime speaking slot to former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a Republican critic of Trump’s who said: “Whatever policies we disagree on pale in comparison with those fundamental matters of principle. Of decency. Of fidelity to this nation. To my fellow Republicans: If you still pledge allegiance to those principles, I suspect you belong here, too.”

Harris invoked her prosecutor’s background when she referred several times to Trump’s “explicit intent” to free those who assaulted law enforcement officers at the Capitol, jail political opponents and use the military against American citizens.

“Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again,” she added.

Trump, calling into Fox News after Harris’ speech, responded to the speech by asking, “Why didn’t she do the things that she’s complaining about?”

“It was a lot of complaining. She didn’t talk about China. She didn’t talk about fracking. She didn’t talk about crime,” Trump went on, adding, “Other than that it was a nice-looking room.”

Harris promises to defend alliances, abortion access

Delivering her most in-depth remarks on national security since becoming a presidential candidate, Harris promised to strengthen U.S. relationships with NATO allies and said the country must continue to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. Trump and running mate JD Vance have repeatedly questioned U.S. backing for Ukraine.

“I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals, because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs,” she said.

The vice president also vowed to work toward an end to Israel’s war against Hamas that can stabilize the rest of the region, while not hesitating to protect U.S. forces from aggression by Iran and other adversaries.

While she pledged to “always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself” after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and pushed for the release of the hostages and the implementation of a cease-fire deal, she highlighted the plight of Palestinian civilians as well. Pro-Palestinian protesters and members of the “uncommitted” movement in the arena sharply criticized convention organizers for not inviting a Palestinian American onstage.

“What has happened in Gaza in the last 10 months is devastating, so many innocent lives lost,” Harris said. “Desperate, hungry people fleeing to safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”

Pledging to restore nationwide access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Harris lambasted Trump and Republicans who have enabled abortion bans across two dozen states and have sought to move further.

“They are out of their minds,” Harris proclaimed.

Harris has faced scrutiny in the month since she replaced Biden atop the Democratic ticket for avoiding policy specifics. She offered broad promises in a string of key policy areas, from expanding voting rights to lowering housing costs, passing middle-class tax cuts and bolstering border security.

Harris also emphasized her law enforcement background, including her time as San Francisco district attorney and California attorney general. She was later elected to the U.S. Senate and sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.

Her campaign imploded that year before a single primary vote was cast, but Biden chose her as his running mate, catapulting her to the national stage.

Although Harris initially struggled to find her footing as vice president, her reputation grew when she became the administration’s leading advocate for abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Democrats harnessed anger over the decision to stem their losses in the last midterm elections.

When Biden stumbled in his debate with Trump in June, Harris defended him until he decided to drop out of the race. With the help of his endorsement, she swiftly unified the Democratic Party behind her candidacy, resetting a presidential race that Trump had appeared on track to win.

Speaking to supporters after her remarks, Harris struck a confident note, but encouraged them to keep campaigning like they were behind.

“Tonight get your party on, for the next 75 days we have a lot of work to do,” she said. “We’re going to win this.”

Story by Zeke Miller, Will Weissert and Darlene Superville, Associated Press. Associated Press writers Chris Megerian and Jonathan J. Cooper contributed.

CHICAGO (AP) — Warning of a difficult fight ahead, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on Tuesday called on the nation to embrace Kamala Harris in urgent messages to the Democratic National Convention that were at times both hopeful and ominous.

“America, hope is making a comeback,” the former first lady declared. She then tore into Republican Donald Trump, a sharp shift from the 2016 convention speech in which she told her party, “When they go low, we go high.”

“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,” Michelle Obama said of Trump.

Barack Obama, the first Black president in U.S. history, insisted the nation is ready to elect Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage and would be the nation’s first female president. He also called Trump “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala,” he said.

The fiery messages from two of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars underscored the urgency of the moment as Harris works to stitch together a broad coalition in her bid to defeat Trump this fall. The vice president is drawing on stars like the Obamas and other celebrities, officials from the far left to the middle, and even some Republicans to boost her campaign.

And while the theme of the night was “a bold vision for America’s future,” the disparate factions of Harris’ evolving coalition demonstrated, above all, that they are connected by a deep desire to prevent a second Trump presidency.

In an appearance perhaps intended to needle Trump, his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham — now a harsh critic of her former boss — also took the convention stage.

Trump “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth,” Grisham said. “I love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people. And she has my vote.”

Sens. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent beloved by progressives, both praised Harris.

Schumer called on voters to elect another Democratic majority to the U.S. Senate. “She can’t do it alone,” he said of a prospective President Harris.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, said he was eager to work with Harris in the White House as well. Their policy goals, he said, are “not a radical agenda.”

As Democrats addressed the nation from Chicago, Harris faced an estimated 15,000 people in battleground Wisconsin in the arena where Republicans held their convention last month. She said that she was running “a people-powered campaign.”

“Together we will chart a new way forward,” the vice president said in remarks that were partially broadcast to the DNC. “A future for freedom, opportunity, of optimism and faith.”

Still, it was not all serious on the second night of the four-day convention.

A symbolic roll call in which delegates from each state pledged their support for the Democratic nominee turned into a party atmosphere. A DJ played a mix of state-specific songs — and Atlanta native Lil Jon ran out during Georgia’s turn to his hit song with DJ Snake, “Turn Down for What,” to the delight of the thousands inside the cavernous United Center.

And various speakers offered personal stories about Harris, who has served as a California senator and vice president, but remains largely unknown among many voters.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who would become the nation’s first gentleman if his wife wins the presidency, shared details about his relationship with the vice president — their cooking habits, their first date and her laugh, which is often mocked by Republican critics.

“You know that laugh. I love that laugh!” Emhoff said as the crowd cheered. Later, he added, “Her empathy is her strength.”

Trump, meanwhile, was out on the campaign trail as part of his weeklong swing-state tour during the Democratic convention. He went to Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday and stood aside sheriff’s deputies as he labeled Harris the “ringleader” of a “Marxist attack on law enforcement” across the country.

“Kamala Harris will deliver crime, chaos, destruction and death,” Trump said in one of many generalizations about an America under Harris.

Throughout their convention, Democrats have sought to balance a message of unity with an embrace of diversity.

Barack Obama’s speech Tuesday night made perhaps the most forceful case for that model as a logical step forward for a bitterly divided nation. In contrast to the party’s rhetoric in the recent past around race, Obama framed the Democrats’ approach as “a new way forward” for a modern society in contrast to a “divisive,” “old” and “tired” strategy of vision offered by the party’s chief opponent, Trump.

Michelle Obama also addressed race directly as she jabbed Trump, referencing a comment he made in a June debate.

“Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” she said. ”It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people’s lives better.”

Barack Obama returned to the convention stage 20 years after making his first appearance at a national convention, a 2004 appearance in Boston that propelled him into the national spotlight ahead of his successful presidential run. And he praised President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection bid last month and endorsed Harris.

“History will remember Joe Biden as a president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger,” Obama said Tuesday as the crowd chanted, “Thank you, Joe.” “I am proud to call him my president, but even prouder to call him my friend.”

Harris, meanwhile, cast the election in dire, almost existential terms. She implored Americans not to get complacent in light of the Supreme Court decision carving out broad presidential immunity, a power she said Trump would abuse.

She has also seized on Trump’s opposition to a nationally guaranteed right to abortion.

“They seemingly don’t trust women,” she said of Trump and his Republican allies. “Well, we trust women.”

The vice president’s speech in Milwaukee evoked some of the same themes that underlaid Biden’s case for reelection before he dropped out, casting Trump as a threat to democracy. Harris argued that Trump threatens the values and freedoms that Americans hold dear.

Trump said he would be a dictator only on his first day in office, a quip he later said was a joke, and has vowed as president to assert more control over federal prosecutions, an area of government that has traditionally been left to the Justice Department.

Someone with that record “should never again have the opportunity to stand behind the seal of the president of the United States,” Harris said. “Never again.”

By Steve Peoples, Jonathan J. Cooper and Zeke Miller, Associated Press. Associated Press writers Matt Brown, Farnoush Amiri and Will Weissert contributed to this report.

On this episode of the Detroit Evening Report, stories include this week’s excitement at the Democratic National Convention around the Harris-Walz presidential ticket; Michigan’s launch of a new statewide “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition and more.

Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dems rally around Harris, Walz at DNC

The Harris-Walz ticket is creating a sheen of excitement at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. And some notable metro Detroiters are part of it.

That includes long-time Democratic activist Reverend Wendell Anthony. He says Harris’ status as the first women of color to head a major party presidential ticket is re-invigorating Democrat’s ability to get out the vote for the general election.

“This is Freedom Summer Two…that’s what I call it,” he said. “Freedom Summer One was 60 years ago. Black folk and white folk went south to Mississippi to help register people to vote, because they couldn’t vote. They went volunteering. Now people from all across the country are coming, volunteering, because they want to preserve freedom, democracy and the right to vote still.”

Anthony claims former President Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to challenge the election in states like Michigan if he is not declared the winner in November. 

Applications open for PitchMI

Applications are officially open for PitchMI, a statewide “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition created to help solve Michigan’s transportation troubles.

The state’s Growth Office will invest $100,000 in one innovative solution that transforms the way Michiganders get from point A to point B safely, affordably and efficiently. PitchMI is meant to spur entrepreneurial problem-solving, connect innovators with capital and create a ripple effect to accelerate more innovation, according to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The competition is scheduled to take place Thursday, Oct. 24, during the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification’s conference at Newlab in Detroit. Applicants for PitchMI must be available to participate in-person. Its open to start-up companies with 51% of their employees in the state of Michigan. Solutions should be demonstration-ready with working prototypes. 

For more information and to apply, visit growingmichigan.org/opportunities. The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 16. 

Detroit to unveil Joe Louis Neighborhood Stories

The city of Detroit will unveil its Joe Louis Greenway Neighborhood Stories signage project this week.

Ten signs will be placed along the Joe Louis Greenway telling the story of the Midwest-Tireman neighborhood. The city used residents as Story Gatherers to collect oral histories from long-time neighborhood residents. Those stories were turned into signs designed by the firm Good Done Daily.

A ribbon-cutting is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Thursday at 8034 West Warren Ave., Detroit, with light refreshments on offer. Parking is available on McDonald Street. 

HBCU Student Invitational Film Competition and Festival

The HBCU Student Invitational Film Competition and Festival takes place at Michigan Central next week.

Black filmmakers attending HBCUs will screen their films from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m on Friday, Aug. 23, with contest winners announced on Saturday, Aug. 24. The grand prize is $10,000.

This is the first time the event will be in-person. Autumn Sun, the group organizing the festival, was founded by Detroit native Bruce Clifton. The film screenings and panel discussions are free, but the award ceremony and gala on the 24th require tickets. For more information, visit autumnsunfest.org. 

Annual ‘Fun in the Park’ event returns

Residents of Detroit’s District 7 are invited to Stein Park from 3 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, for the second annual Fun in the Park event. The free, family-friendly event will feature food, games, music, activities for all ages and more. 

Stein Park is located at 18899 Chicago St., Detroit. The rain date for the event will be Saturday, Aug. 24.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

Organizers behind the national “uncommitted” movement are commending a decision to host an official panel discussion on Palestinian rights Monday at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The movement began as the “Listen to Michigan” campaign to get 10,000 uncommitted votes in the state’s Democratic presidential primary in February, in protest of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The uncommitted campaign wildly exceeded expectations in Michigan, picking up more than 13% of the votes in the Democratic race, or roughly 101,000 votes.

“The Muslim community, not just in Michigan, but in nearly every state, is more active, more involved than ever before,” Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellsion told WDET before participating in Monday’s panel discussion. “Not just as candidates, but as people who are doing fundraising; people who are doing communications; I mean, Bernie Sanders campaign manager was a Muslim, right? So the Muslim community has stronger political muscles than ever before, and is making itself heard.”

Others on the panel, like pediatric intensive care surgeon Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan — who recently returned from serving in Gaza — say the Harris-Walz ticket needs to hear the cries of the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

“We feel like the only way to protect and preserve human life is to put political pressure at this point.”

-Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan, pediatric physician in Gaza and DNC panelist

“I was asked to be here to provide moral witness to the delegates of the Democratic National Convention, the civilian casualties that I myself witnessed while I was there, the entire families that were exterminated, health care workers, humanitarian workers, that have been killed in unprecedented numbers, child amputees, record numbers of child amputees, all the children who had survived and arrived injured at the hospital with no surviving family,” Haj-Hassan told WDET. “I myself treated several children who would fall into that category. And for these children, they would often die in our arms in the emergency department without any family around to comfort them, because their family were killed in the same attack, and without anybody to bury them once they were dead…it was honestly, completely, utterly devastating.

“So we feel like the only way to protect and preserve human life is to put political pressure at this point. The unconditional ongoing funding of the U.S. for this military campaign, it starkly contrasts with the documented realities on the ground, with the findings by the International Court of Justice — a plausible genocide — and with universal global condemnation from every human rights and humanitarian organization, saying ‘This has to stop.'”

Haj-Hassan says everyone in her immediate family and friends circle are “very afraid of a Trump presidency,” however, she says, “we have red lines for what we will support in a party that we’re going to vote for, and genocide is one of those lines.”

“If the Harris-Walz platform wants to win, then they’re going to need to start listening to all of these voters, and I hope they also start listening to their conscience, because I don’t know how you’d sleep at night knowing that you’re funding this,” she said.

In a statement from uncommitted movement co-founders Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh, they called the panel “an important step toward recognizing the rightful place of human rights advocates for Palestinian rights within the Democratic Party.”

“Our focus remains on policy change,” the statement read. “Vice President Harris has an opportunity to unite the party against Trump this week by turning the page towards a human rights policy that saves lives and helps us re-engage key voters for whom Gaza is a top issue.”

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were gathered outside the DNC on Monday, with some breaking through a security fence near the convention site. However, the protests have been mostly peaceful.

Elabed and Alewieh say they have formally requested that Haj-Hassan and a Palestinian American be granted speaking time on the convention stage this week to share their plight.

This spring, Donald Trump had an advantage he couldn’t achieve in 2020 when he was running for reelection – a lead in the polls.

Buoyed by the lingering effects of two years of high inflation under the Biden Administration, polling in April, May and June consistently trended toward Trump. 

That could be why Biden’s campaign agreed to the earliest debate in presidential election history. But that attempt to flip the script did not go well — as calls for the 81-year-old incumbent to step aside only grew louder following his poor debate performance in June, during which he trailed off several times and gave multiple nonsensical answers. The questions surrounding the president’s age and viability were answered for many by the end of the night.

Behind the scenes, some Democrats immediately started to panic and worked to get the president to step down from the ticket. However, he kept campaigning, and Biden’s many supporters and defenders in the media sprang to his defense. 

On July 12, Biden came to Detroit for a rousing rally where he was met with supporters chanting “don’t you quit!” He was animated at the event, seeming to feed off of the crowd’s energy, and insisted he was staying in the race. 

“I’m running and we’re going to win,” he told the crowd.

Covering the rally that day, there seemed little chance that Biden would drop out.

The media momentum from that event was short-lived, though, as media attention rightfully focused the very next day on an the attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. The assassin’s bullet narrowly missed killing Trump, grazing his ear and drawing blood. One spectator died and two others were wounded in the shooting. 

The Republican National Convention took place in Milwaukee the following week. Trump announced his running mate – Ohio Senator JD Vance – and then he formally accepted the party’s nomination in a long speech on July 18. 

On the convention floor, Michigan GOP Delegate Bethany Wheeler said it was an emotional moment as Trump recalled the attempt on his life. 

“Just the emotion in the beginning, when he was talking about how serious everything was, it was very powerful,” Wheeler said. “You really remembering that was five days ago.” 

Three days later, Biden was out, and after some hurried discussions the party proceeded to make Vice President Kamala Harris the only candidate for the Democratic nomination — turning the presidential election on its head.

Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell says she could sense the immediate sea change.

“There’s no question that there’s a new energy out there. You saw it in the rally when Vice President Harris made her first appearance in Michigan after having announced Governor Walz,” said Dingell. “You see it in the, when we organize and have kickoffs for door knocking and telephone banks, and you just see it when you’re out in the community at events, people come up and want to talk about it. They’re excited, and that’s good.” 

Dingell was the canary in the coal mine in 2016 – warning the Hillary Clinton campaign – and any other Democrat who would listen that Michigan was in play. 

“In 2016 I was in union halls, and I heard how people felt about trade and their jobs having been shipped overseas,” she said. “I hear an energy that I haven’t, quite frankly, seen in a while.” 

Listen: Support for Harris surging in key swing states ahead of DNC, polls show

United Auto Workers Region 1-A Director Laura Dickerson agrees.

“I had an opportunity in this region to walk the picket line with President Joe Biden, just down the street from here, and so we appreciate all that he’s done. But the biggest thing that he did, he stepped aside for this country, and he’s ignited a movement with Kamala Harris,” said Dickerson.

At the recent Harris-Walz rally at Detroit Metro Airport, Dingell made her thoughts clear.

“We got a lot of work to do. I feel a lot better than I did in 2016 at this time,” she said. “Donald Trump, you’re not going to win Michigan.”

For now, the polling supports that trend. 

“We are really seeing a completely different race up and down these critical swing states,” said Jessica Taylor, senate and governors editor for The Cook Political Report. “In our last polling in May, Trump was leading in every single swing state, and now Harris is either leading or tied in every swing state, except for Nevada.” 

Harris currently has a three-point lead on Trump in Michigan. That’s a five-point swing since May. The switch to the vice president has also opened up more paths to victory in the electoral college, according to Taylor. 

“But I mean, Michigan was a must-win for President Biden, I think you know, he was really down to the only plausible path he had was winning those blue wall states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania,” said Taylor. “But now Harris, she’s competitive once again in Georgia and North Carolina and Arizona. So I think it opens up the map. So Michigan is not a must win, but you would absolutely like to have it.” 

Democratic voters are still in the honeymoon phase, and it’s possible this week’s Democratic National Convention could extend that bump. Dickerson says Harris – with her close ties to organized labor – can sustain that momentum. 

“I’m telling you, our membership is excited. They’re energized. They’re ready to go and support Kamala Harris,” she said.

In 2020, Biden defeated Trump in Michigan by 150,000 votes. Harris was on the ticket, but she wasn’t in the spotlight. With an improving economy and without the baggage of age, will voters connect with her like they did with Biden four years ago? Given the roller coaster of the past two months, Nov. 5 is both a short time for Harris to make her case, and a long way off. 

Read more:

• Dingell sees wave of excitement, protests coming at Democratic National Convention
• Favorable views of Kamala Harris have risen this summer heading into the DNC, AP-NORC poll shows
• How to watch the Democratic National Convention in Chicago

Former President Donald Trump enjoyed a two-point lead in Michigan back in May, but things have changed dramatically in the race for the White House.

Trump — who survived an assassination attempt last month — saw his momentum slowed by a change on the Democratic ticket. President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and Democrats coalescing around Vice President Kamala Harris changed everything.

In polling conducted by The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter the last week of July through the first days of August, Harris now leads in every swing state except Nevada.

In Michigan, Harris has a three-point lead — which marks a five-point swing away from Trump.

Cook Political Editor of U.S. Senate & Governors, Jessica Taylor, says the vibe shift over the past month has been remarkable.

“I remember being at the Republican National Convention not even a month ago,” Taylor says. “It really felt like a coronation for Donald Trump, and that this race felt over, really, and now it is a true toss up once again. Harris is in the fight in swing states where I think the Biden campaign had already ceded things.”

As far as any potential bump from next week’s Democratic National Convention, Taylor says it’s possible Harris has already hit her high water mark.

“I think she’s had a honeymoon period,” Taylor says. “I do think the DNC could extend that and she could get a bump out of it. But given the topsy turvy election cycle we’ve had over the past month and a half, who knows what’s going to happen?”

In the race for Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin has an eight-point advantage over Republican Mike Rogers. However, Rogers has likely suffered from his time away from politics — and having a significant disadvantage in fundraising.

“I think it’s Rogers that has the possibility to gain if he continues to spend and reintroduce himself,” Taylor says. “Trump is at 46% he’s at 42% so he’s running behind where Trump is. So really, Trump could help him in that regard.”

Members of the United Auto Workers union got up close with the Democratic presidential ticket at a union hall in Wayne on Thursday.

Joined by Democratic vice presidential nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris told a group of about 150 UAW members that the government should be staying out of their lives.

“We want to recognize the right all people have to freedom and liberty to make choices, especially those that are about heart and home and not have their government telling them what to do,” said Harris.

The event was held at UAW Local 900 — across the street from the Ford Stamping Plant in Wayne. Shauna Lewis, a worker at the Ford plant, says former President Donald Trump’s past actions shows he doesn’t care about the working class.

“It says a lot when we are on strike, and our former president came to Michigan, visited an Assembly Plant that doesn’t even have a union — that spoke volumes,” she said.

Harris did not take questions from reporters at the event, but did respond to a shouted question that she will debate Trump in September.

Trump spoke for more than an hour on Thursday in his first news conference since Harris became the Democratic nominee, confirming that he will debate Harris on Sept. 10 and saying he’d be pushing for two more debates. He also made several false claims throughout the news conference and called Harris “stupid” several times.

UAW President Shawn Fain says the vice president shouldn’t sweat it.

“Well, he calls me stupid too, so I say that’s just normal Donald Trump,” said Fain.

Harris told rallygoers in Wayne that the Republican nominee is only running for president to serve his own interests.

During his speech on Thursday, Walz — who was one of the union’s top choices for Harris’ running mate — said another Trump administration would be a threat to workers.

“One of the goals of that, plain and simple. And they know this, this has been going on forever. Get rid of labor unions and get rid of the voices that we bring. They can do whatever the hell they want then.”

Donald Trump has said — and his campaign continues to claim — that no president has done more for auto workers that him.

Read more:

• Harris and Walz meet with ‘uncommitted’ leaders, union members during Detroit campaign stop
• Vance pushes immigration and crime heavy message in Macomb County

The Democratic Party has officially selected Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee on Monday afternoon — marking the first time a woman of color has won a major party’s nomination, and only the second time a woman has been selected.

Of the 4,567 Democratic delegates who cast ballots, Harris — who just held a rally at Detroit Metro Airport on Wednesday — won the support of 99% of the voters. Though Harris appears to be succeeding in her rushed bid for the presidency, it’s important to note that there are significant barriers women face when running for an election. 

Today on Created Equal, NBC News Correspondent Ali Vitali; political science professor Dr. Cathy Wineinger; and Kimberly Peeler-Allen, visiting practitioner at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, joined the show to discuss Harris’ nomination and the state of women in politics.

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests

Ali Vitali is a Capitol Hill correspondent for NBC News and the author of the book “Electable: Why America Hasn’t Put a Woman in the White House…Yet.” She says that Michigan’s women-dominated leadership will assist Harris’ campaign because Michiganders are used to voting for, and seeing, women win top government offices. 

“Politically, Michigan is a battleground state. But from the perspective of gender and politics, you [have to] look up and down the upper echelons of leadership in Michigan,” Vitali said. “You have, of course, Gretchen Whitmer at the top of that, but then you have Jocelyn Benson and Dana Nessel. It’s important to look at the fact that Michigan voters are habituated to seeing women run for executive and top leadership roles, and they’re used to seeing them win.” 

Dr. Cathy Wineinger is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. She says the biggest barrier to office is firstly getting women to run, and then making sure they run as themselves. 

“I think getting women to decide to run in the first place is the biggest challenge to overcome. But I think we’re seeing that, and this change in the political landscape does send a signal to women [and] to women of color, that: ‘Hey, I can run and I can run as myself. I don’t need to fit into this [white man] stereotype,’’ Wineinger said. “And that’s especially true on the Democratic side of the aisle – I think it’s maybe not as true on the Republican side.”

Kimberly Peeler-Allen is a visiting practitioner at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University and was formerly the Senior Advisor to New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ reelection. She says the reason women of color experience harassment when seeking government positions is because of America’s history as a white, patriarchal society. 

“The vice president and [her] campaign aren’t leaning into the diversity of her experience and her identity, but the Republicans are,” Peeler-Allen said. “We’re seeing the increase of violence, threats and harassment against women and people of color in elected office across the board. A lot of that is sparked because of, for lack of a better phrase, their ‘difference’ from what the norm has been.”

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz continued their Presidential campaign with a rally at Detroit Metro Airport on Wednesday.

The campaign, still in its infancy, drew a crowd of about 15,000 to the airplane hangar – mostly members of the United Auto Workers and other supporters. While addressing the crowd, Harris was interrupted by protesters opposed to Israel’s war in Gaza with Hamas. At first, Harris said to those trying to disrupt her, “I am here because I believe in democracy, and everybody’s voice matters.”

But Harris lost patience as the shouting continued, with protesters accusing her of supporting genocide in Gaza. That led her to deliver a sharper rejoinder.

“You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that,” she said, talking over the protesters. “Otherwise, I’m speaking.”

Uncommitted National Movement founders Layla Elabed and Abbas Alawieh both had an opportunity to speak briefly with Harris and Walz at the rally.

The two Uncommitted leaders each shared their concerns about the U.S. supplying weapons to Israel, and requested a formal meeting with Harris to further discuss their demands of an arms embargo and a permanent ceasefire.

The vice president shared her sympathies and expressed an openness to a meeting with Uncommitted leaders to discuss an arms embargo.

“Michigan voters want to support you, but we need a policy that will save lives in Gaza right now.”

— Uncommitted National Movement Co-founder Layla Elabed

During her exchange with Harris, Elabed broke down in tears and said: “I’m Palestinian, I’m a founder of Uncommitted. Michigan voters want to support you, but we need a policy that will save lives in Gaza right now. I meet with community members every day in Michigan who are losing tens and hundreds of family members in Gaza. Right now, we need an arms embargo. Will you meet with us to talk about an arms embargo?”

Alawieh, who is also a DNC delegate, told the vice president he appreciated her leadership and wanted to support her, but “voters need to see you turn a new page on Gaza policy that includes embracing an arms embargo to save lives.”

Shortly after her remarks Wednesday, Harris won the backing of Assad I. Turfe, the deputy Wayne County executive, who is the highest ranking Arab American official in Michigan’s largest county. Turfe told The Associated Press that he spoke with Harris backstage at the event before his endorsement.

“Kamala Harris embodies the America we deserve – an America that stands for strength, inclusivity and unwavering commitment to justice,” Turfe said in a statement. “I wholeheartedly endorse Kamala Harris, as she represents the true spirit of our nation and the values we hold dear.”

Turfe also pressed the need for a ceasefire, but said that Harris “gives us the best chance of achieving peace in that region moving forward.”

Over 40,000 civilians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza. The Uncommitted movement started in Michigan and spread nationwide during the Presidential Primary process as a way for voters to show displeasure with President Joe Biden’s continued support of Israel.

Speaking at a news conference in Dearborn on Wednesday, Elabed said continuing to support Israel is anti-democratic when polling has shown most Americans want a ceasefire.

“So we will continue pressuring the Biden administration to do the moral thing and to also carry out the core tenets of the Democratic Party that currently do not align with this U.S. policy, Gaza policy as it stands,” she said.

There will be 30 Uncommitted delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago later this month.

During her speech, Harris touched on the successes of the Biden Administration – including the CHIPS Act that aimed to bolster electric vehicle production. That drew applause from the scores of union members in the crowd.

Harris also tried to highlight the differences between her campaign and that of former President Donald Trump.

“What kind of country do we want to live in, a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?”

However, when the crowd started chanting “Lock Him Up”… Harris shut that down.

“Here’s the thing, the courts are gonna handle that,” she told the crowd. “We’re gonna beat him in November.”

‘Lock Her Up’ has been a familiar refrain at Trump rallies dating back to his first campaign against Hillary Clinton. Trump is still facing sentencing in New York after being convicted of 34 counts of fraud.

Walz, a former teacher and National Guardsman, criticized Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We had the worst crisis of a generation, and he froze during COVID,” he said. “People lost their lives because of that.”

Walz’ strong support from organized labor was reportedly a factor in Harris’ decision to pick him as a running mate.

During his speech at the rally, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain talked about class warfare between workers and the rich, as well as the union’s successes — referencing the union’s strike at General Motors plants five years ago.

”Donald Trump said nothing, and Donald Trump did nothing to help auto workers,” said Fain. “You want to know where Kamala Harris was in 2019? she was on the picket line for striking workers.”

The union had backed President Joe Biden, but held off on endorsing Harris until doing so last week. Fain had pushed the Harris campaign to select Governor Walz, saying the 2024 presidential election was a way for people to strike back against “the billionaire class.”

“This is our generation’s defining moment, and this election is our opportunity to take our lives back,” said Fain. “So Michigan, let’s get to work.”

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer also spoke at the rally on Wednesday, telling the crowd that Walz is “the real deal. He’s the only governor I know who curses more than I do, and I have a feeling that’s about to change.”

Whitmer — who did not make the short list of possible vice president nominees on the Democratic ticket and denied any interest in leaving Michigan — also told rally goers not to put their faith in Trump.

“We cannot trust Donald Trump, and we must make sure he does not get back into the White House,” she said. “I mean, think about it, you wouldn’t buy a used car from this guy. How can you expect him to support the auto industry?”

Sen. J.D. Vance made his own stops in Michigan and Wisconsin on Wednesday, intent on showing that Republicans will compete in the “blue wall” of Midwestern states. He called Walz a “crazy radical” and said that Harris’ decision to pick him as a running mate shows that she “bends the knee to the far left of the Democratic Party.”

Harris and Walz are meeting with more local UAW members in metro Detroit on Thursday.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Joey Cappelletti contributed to this report.

The United Auto Workers union has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president following a vote by the UAW International Executive Board, the organization announced Wednesday.

The news comes a week before the presumed Democratic nominee is expected to appear alongside her chosen running mate at a rally in Detroit next Wednesday, Aug. 7.

“Her historic candidacy builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s proven track record of standing with the UAW and delivering major gains for the working class,” the UAW statement read.  “Years before the Stand Up Strike, Kamala Harris walked the picket line with striking autoworkers in 2019, has taken on corporate price-gouging and profiteering, and has spoken out and voted against unfair trade deals that hurt the American worker like NAFTA and NAFTA 2.0, the USMCA.”

Harris is expected to meet directly with UAW members and leaders during her visit to Detroit to hear about the issues that matter to Michigan workers.

“This campaign is bringing together people from all walks of life, building a movement that can defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box,” said UAW President Shawn Fain in a statement. “For our one million active and retired members, the choice is clear: We will elect Kamala Harris to be our next President this November.”

The visit marks the first time Harris has come to Michigan since President Joe Biden announced he was stepping down from the 2024 presidential race.

“Vice President Harris is honored to receive the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, and knows it comes with the responsibility to fight for unions and working families as she’s done her whole career,” said Harris for President Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez following the endorsement.

• Who will Kamala Harris choose to be her VP candidate?
• Who is Vice President Kamala Harris as a politician?
• Michigan Democrats seek reset with Harris at top of ticket

It’s less than 100 days until the final day of the November general election and the beginning of vote-counting. At the top of the tickets, Vice President Kamala Harris is the presumptive Democratic nominee while former President Donald Trump is the Republican nominee.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) said Monday that she sees voters who are excited over a history-making choice.

“The world has dramatically changed and there is no doubt in my mind that the people of the country are ready to support a woman for president,” she said.

One of the races will decide who will replace Stabenow, who is retiring at the end of her current term. She said the election will decide whether Democrats keep the U.S. Senate and can take control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Early voting has already begun for the August primaries where voters will choose their party nominees for those offices.

“So here we are and the future of our country, the future of Michigan is really at stake and who controls Congress makes a big difference, a really big difference,” she said.

Democrats say they will be reminding voters about the Jan. 6 uprising and their message is that Trump and the Republican ticket pose a threat to democracy.

Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra said up and down the ballot, Republicans plan to focus on the economy and border security.

“As a state party, we are working seamlessly with the Trump campaign,” he said. “We are working seamlessly with the congressional campaigns, with the senatorial campaign out of Washington. So, I think we are poised to be successful this fall.”

Hoekstra said he is on the lookout for what happens at the Democratic National Convention next month, when Harris is supposed to officially accept her party’s nomination. Also, he said there could be an “October surprise” in the final months of what’s been a roller-coaster campaign season already.

“You know there’s something that may happen,” he said. “But you really can’t predict what it will be.”

It’s been another week of major historic political events. President Biden walked away from his race for reelection, and Vice President Kamala Harris came sprinting in to pick up the baton. On the latest episode of MichMash, host Cheyna Roth and Gongwer News Service’s Alethia Kasben sat down with former state Rep. Adam Zemke from Ann Arbor to talk about her chances of winning. 

Subscribe to MichMash on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode:

• President Biden dropping out of the race for reelection
• How the election cycle for 2024 compares to 2016
• Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of winning the election

Zemke defended Biden after the debate, saying that criticisms about his cognitive ability were unwarranted.  

“I watched his NATO Q&A. That was really what did it for me. That hour-long Q&A that was, off the cuff with reporters. I watched all of that intently, and I sent out a tweet afterwards saying I didn’t see any cognitive decline at all,” said Zemke. “I thought he was very sharp on policy.”

The former representative compared that moment in the media to when Hilary Clinton emails were brought up in 2016. He said both moments were overly criticized and received unbalanced attention from the media.  

In regards to Harris succeeding Biden in his run for office, Zemke said we learned a lot as a people during that time.

“In 2016, I think people did think, ‘how could Donald Trump actually win? They had more supporters that voted. The reality is this, I think people are hell-bent on making sure that that doesn’t happen again.” he said. 

He added that both Hilary Clinton and Harris bring different qualities and background to the table. That along with the experience from 2016 makes Zemke feel Harris has a shot to make it in November.  

More from WDET:

• MichMash: How do we navigate the modern political climate peacefully?
• VP Kamala Harris touts domestic EV initiatives in Detroit
• Created Equal: Maternity care deserts and the loss of health care access for women

More from Gongwer News Services

• Whitmer on VP speculation: ‘I’m not going anywhere’

Michigan Democrats are seeking a messaging reset with party leaders holding events around the state as Vice President Kamala Harris is poised to be their party’s presidential candidate.

Earlier statewide polls showed President Joe Biden struggling following a poor debate performance last month against former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. That was before the assassination attempt on Trump and before Biden bowed out of the race for president. Michigan Democrats are anxious now to turn the page.

“I think, as President Biden said, it was time to pass the torch to the next generation. I, for one, as a Gen X-er, would be thrilled to see myself and my generation represented in the White House,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Kamala Harris is the perfect transition candidate.”

At an event in Lansing, Nessel said Harris will bring a fresh perspective to the job of being a candidate and, if elected, to being president.

“She’ll have a lot of policies in common with President Biden, but, you know, I guess, she will have her own agenda, as well,” she said.

State Representative Kara Hope (D-Holt) said she is already seeing a shift.

“There’s work to do, for sure,” she said. “But we’re moving in the right direction, especially with certain constituencies – young people, people of color, we’re making gains there already and I think that bodes well for November.”

The stakes are not only Michigan’s 15 electoral votes, but the top of the ticket will also affect close congressional races, a competitive race for an open U.S. Senate seat, and Democrats’ control of the Michigan House of Representatives.

“Keeping the majority in the state House is going to be very pivotal,” said state Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing). “And I think the decisions that were made over the weekend and the fact that the party and the delegates have all come around Vice President Harris is going to really bode well here in Michigan for those that are running for Congress as well as keeping the House in Democratic control.”

Republicans say the change at the top of the ticket will not change their strategy in Michigan – a critical swing state that went for Trump in his 2016 race against former U.S. Senator and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton then flipped to Biden in 2020.

“Dangerously liberal Kamala Harris is responsible for every struggle Michiganders have faced over the last three and a half years,” said Michigan Trump campaign spokesperson Victoria LaCivita. “Her policies led to skyrocketing inflation, inability to afford gas and groceries, violent crime at the hands of illegal immigrants, and a California-elitist obsession with electric vehicles.”

Trump is the official GOP nominee following the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee earlier this month. Harris must still be formally nominated at the Democratic National Convention next month in Chicago.

Since Vice President Kamala Harris’ endorsement from President Joe Biden last Sunday, an overwhelming majority of congressional Democrats, governors and delegates have pledged their support for her as the Democratic Party nominee.

While this support is non-binding, it is significant for the start of her campaign for the official nomination. 

But Harris’ vice presidency has not been without it’s criticism, as many question her efforts to secure the border — one of her frontline tasks during her time in office — at a time when immigration has become a central issue in Republican messaging.

Elaina Plott Calabro, a staff writer for The Atlantic who has written extensively about Harris’ vice presidency, joined Created Equal on Thursday to discuss her recent article about how the former prosecutor and presumptive Democratic nominee can embrace her law-enforcement record to compete against Trump this November. 

Subscribe to Created Equal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest:

Elaina Plott Calabro is a staff writer for The Atlantic. She has been reporting on Harris’s career both before and during her time as vice president of the United States. She says that Harris took a backseat as vice president because she was more comfortable in a supportive role after America’s response to her attempted immigration reform in Central America. 

“I remember [Joe Biden’s former Chief of Staff Ron Klain] said to me in our interview that her response was: ‘I’m just terrified of doing something that sets back the administration, or distracts from the mission.’ She really took it seriously. Her mandate as vice president was to sort of support the president and make sure that people saw him as a really accomplished individual, [which was] an agenda that was working for them,” she said. “She was comfortable in that role, sort of working more behind the scenes – which is why I think I levy a lot of responsibility on Joe Biden for kind of freeing her from those inherent [or] structural inhibitions of the vice presidency, to let her be more of a star in her own right [with the endorsement].”

Listen to Created Equal with host Stephen Henderson weekdays from 9-10 a.m. ET on 101.9 WDET and streaming on-demand.