Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has a busy week ahead as he looks to steal some of Vice President Kamala Harris’ thunder during her coronation week at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Mr. Trump has planned a series of campaign stops in key battleground states and at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Mr. Trump, his running mate Sen. J.D. Vance and his supporters are looking to zap some of the momentum Ms. Harris is taking into the Democratic convention, where she is scheduled to deliver her nomination acceptance speech on Thursday in prime time.
Democrats will be looking to further define Ms. Harris positively for an electorate that is still getting to know her. Mr. Trump is fighting to damage her image.
“At the DNC, Kamala Harris will hide behind celebrities because everyday families know that she has been an absolute disaster for our nation, and real Americans are worse off now than four years ago,” Trump Campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a press release. “Harris has failed to answer media questions for 28 days because she can’t explain away her record of supporting policies that cause inflation, bans on private health insurance, destroying American energy, and higher taxes.
“As they meet Americans where they are in battleground states across the country, President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again,” they said.
Mr. Trump is kicking things off with an event focused on the economy and energy on Monday in Pennsylvania.
He will then hold a crime-focused event Wednesday in Michigan, a national security event in North Carolina, and an immigration-themed campaign stop Thursday at Montezuma Pass in Arizona.
He will close out the week with a rally on Friday in Glendale, Arizona, and a “no tax on tips” event in Las Vegas.
Mr. Vance also has a slate of planned events that will take him to Philadelphia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Georgia.
The Trump campaign will also deploy an array of surrogates to contrast Mr. Trump with Ms. Harris. On Monday, Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin are holding a press conference at the Trump International Hotel in downtown Chicago to criticize Ms. Harris’ record on the economy and inflation.
The busy week will further help define the race as it heads into the post-Labor Day sprint and with polls showing the race is very tight.
The race transformed after President Biden announced in July that he was ending his sputtering re-election campaign. The campaign faced serious questions about Mr. Biden’s age and high disapproval ratings.
Ms. Harris has energized Democrats and forced the Trump campaign to adjust on the fly.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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