Pittsfield, Massachusetts — Vice President Kamala Harris attended her first major fundraiser Saturday since becoming the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
Speaking to more than 800 attendees in Pittsfield, Massachusetts — mostly Democratic donors — Harris laid out her campaign pitch and defended her record against that of her rival, former President Donald Trump.
“As attorney general, I took on one of the largest for-profit universities in our country that was defrauding students,” Harris told fundraisers. “Well, Donald Trump ran a for-profit university that was defrauding students,” referring to the now-defunct Trump University. In 2016, Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle several civil lawsuits brought by former students.
Harris also referred to the May 2023 civil verdict in which a New York jury found Trump responsible for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the mid-1990s.
“As a prosecutor, I specialized in sexual abuse cases,” she said. “Well, Trump was convicted of sexual abuse.”
The vice president told her audience that she hoped Trump will agree to debate with herBefore President Biden’s speech exit from the race — following the fallout from his performance in the first debate — the two men agreed to host a second debate on Sept. 10 on ABC. Trump said he would debate Harris, but requested that it be hosted by Fox News.
“You may have seen that he just withdrew from our debates,” Harris said. “I hope he reconsiders. I hope he reconsiders. We have a lot to talk about.”
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said Thursday that he could not arrange a debate with Harris because “Democrats could very well still change their minds” about their candidate.
At the fundraiser, Harris also pledged to “finally pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” named after the late Georgia congressman and civil rights icon. The law project would restore a provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that was struck down by the Supreme Court.
Harris also pledged to work to reduce gun violence and advance its fight for reproductive rights.
“When Congress passes legislation to restore reproductive freedom, as President of the United States, I will sign it,” she said.
Harris acknowledged the success of her campaign in the first days after its launch, saying that “the momentum is on our side,” but also told her donors that “we have to fight and we are the underdogs in this race.” said this week It has raised over $100 million since its launch.
The fundraiser, benefiting the Harris Victory Fund, raised $1.4 million, according to a Harris campaign official, more than triple the initial goal of $400,000. The event marked the first major political event in the Berkshires since then-first lady Michelle Obama visited in 2012.
Pittsfield residents lined up outside the Colonial Theatre where the fundraiser was held, expressing excitement that their city would play a starring role in the presidential race.
Harris supporters held up banners reading “Girl Boss,” “First Female President” and “If My Cat Could Vote, He Would Vote for You,” a reference to recently published comments by Sen. J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, who said in a 2021 interview that
the United States was run by “a bunch of childless pussies,” and was specifically referring to Harris.
“I strongly believe it’s time for a woman to be in charge and I don’t want to go back,” said Pittsfield resident Patricia Labendz. “We’re not going back. I grew up in the ’70s and there was misogyny. A woman’s body is her body and no one should tell her what to do with it.”
Some residents were also there to show their support for Trump, holding large Trump flags, while a group of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the venue.
“Stop playing both sides, pick a side and support them,” said Pittsfield resident Eyad Alkurabi. “If you want to support the Palestinian people, you have to do it 100 percent.”
