Kamala Harris and her team are fully prepared to prevent Donald Trump from prematurely declaring victory in the 2024 election, should he attempt such a move. The Democratic presidential candidate emphasized that her team is ready to counter any such efforts, but her primary focus remains on securing a decisive victory over Trump.
In an interview with NBC News, conducted just weeks before Election Day, Harris dismissed concerns about sexism potentially impacting her historic candidacy. If elected, she would become the first woman to serve as President of the United States. She also reiterated her confidence in President Joe Biden’s fitness for office.
Harris underscored the Democrats’ preparedness to defend the integrity of the election: “We have the resources and the expertise should Trump try to subvert the election.”
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“This is a person, Donald Trump, who tried to undo a free and fair election, who still denies the will of the people, and who incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol. Around 140 law enforcement officers were attacked, and some were killed. This is a very serious matter,” she said.
Trump has been criminally charged for attempting to overturn the 2020 election and continues to refuse to acknowledge his loss to Biden. After his legal efforts failed, a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, attacking law enforcement in a bid to stop the certification of the election.
At Harris’ rallies, some supporters have chanted “Lock him up,” echoing Trump’s own rhetoric toward his 2016 Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Harris often responds by saying, “The courts will take care of that. We’ll take care of November.”
During a campaign stop, Biden said, “We’ve got to lock him up,” but quickly clarified: “Politically lock him up. Lock him out, that’s what we have to do.” He added, “No president has ever been like this guy. He’s a genuine threat to our democracy.”
Meanwhile, Trump, speaking to his supporters, criticized Harris for spending the day giving interviews, suggesting she was trying to undermine confidence in the election. “She knows something we don’t know,” he said. “I think she knows some kind of result that we don’t know.”
While legal battles over voting rules have long been a feature of presidential campaigns, election-related litigation has surged in recent years. With increasing funding and the involvement of numerous outside groups, these disputes show no signs of slowing down.
In her interview, Harris said she doesn’t focus on the historic nature of her candidacy, noting, “I’m clearly a woman, I don’t need to point that out to anyone.” She added that she’s not concerned about sexism impacting her chances, focusing instead on engaging all voters.
“I would never assume that anyone in our country should elect a leader based on their gender or race. A leader needs to earn the vote based on substance, by addressing challenges and inspiring people,” she said.
Harris also defended Biden, whose difficult debate performance against Trump ultimately led him to end his reelection campaign, paving the way for her to become the Democratic nominee. She affirmed her belief in Biden’s capabilities, saying, “You’d have to ask him if that’s the only reason why he dropped out, but I have no reluctance in saying he’s fully capable of doing the job.”
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