Harris has swiftly has united much the Democratic Party behind her candidacy since she jumped into the presidential race on Sunday.
Vice President Harris planned to address an influential teachers union in Houston on Thursday morning before traveling to Washington to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the afternoon, a preview of the delicate political and policy terrain she must navigate during her shortened and frenetic presidential campaign.
Harris’s planned address to the convention of the American Federation of Teachers, a 1.8-million member group that has endorsed her candidacy, was the latest in a string of events that have demonstrated support for her bid to defeat Republican nominee Donald Trump.
After a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday and a speech to thousands of Black women at a sorority convention in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Harris’s speech to teachers is yet another foray into friendly territory with large, adoring crowds. The events have showcased how swiftly she has united much of the Democratic Party behind her candidacy since she jumped into the presidential race on Sunday.
Her trip back to Washington, where she plans to have a one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu, is likely to be a more staid setting, given the rifts between the U.S. and Israel over the war in Gaza — and Harris’s often forceful and empathetic language about Palestinian suffering. Voters who have vowed not to vote for Biden over his handling of the war will be watching Harris closely as she publicly deals with a thorny foreign policy matter for the first time since Biden’s exit from the presidential race.
Earlier Thursday, Harris released her campaign launch video in an attempt to introduce herself to the country during the 100-plus day sprint to Election Day. The video aimed to draw a sharp distinction with Trump and amplify the pro-freedom theme that has become central to her pitch.
