Harris puts focus on beating Trump, not concerns over Biden, as she tries to appeal to Black voters

Kamala Harris on Saturday put the focus on the dangers of a second Trump administration, rather than the growing concerns over President Joe Biden’s candidacy, as she attempted to convince Black voters to once again deliver a win for the Biden-Harris ticket.

This is probably the most significant election of our lifetime,” Harris said during a moderated conversation at the Essence Festival in New Orleans, claiming that former President Donald Trump has “openly” expressed “his intention to be a dictator on Day 1” if reelected.

Harris’ stop at the annual Black music and cultural festival comes as the Biden campaign works to revive a corner of the coalition that helped propel the president to the White House in 2020.

Biden beat Trump 87% to 12% among Black voters in 2020, according to CNN exit polls. But Trump has made inroads with the critical voting bloc recently. A New York Times/Siena College survey of battleground states released in May found Trump winning more than 20% of Black voters in a two-way matchup with Biden, which would amount to a historic high if it translates to votes in November.

Harris attempted to convince festival attendees that “we can see it through” if they once again vote in record numbers.

“People voted in record numbers in 2020. This is what was able to happen, and when everyone votes in those numbers again in 122 days, we can see it through,” Harris said.