‘Say it to my face’: Harris, as she challenges Trump for debate

PTI, Jul 31, 2024, 10:03 AM IST

Washington: US Vice President and Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential candidate Kamala Harris has challenged her Republican rival, former president Donald Trump, for a debate, provoking him to say whatever he has to say to her face.

Addressing an election rally in the state of Georgia’s Atlanta city on Tuesday, Harris, 59, said that the nature of presidential elections changed after she entered the race.

She officially declared her candidacy after incumbent President Joe Biden withdrew from the race for a second term on July 20.

“The momentum in this race is shifting. There are signs that Donald Trump is feeling it. You may have noticed. So last week, you may have seen, he pulled out of the debate in September he had previously agreed to,” Harris said.

“Well Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider meeting me on the debate stage because as the saying goes, if you got something to say, say it to my face,” she said to a cheering crowd.

“So, here’s the funny thing about that. Here’s the funny thing about that. He won’t debate, but he and his running mate sure seem to have a lot to say about me,” she said.

As per the campaign, approximately 10,000 people attended her rally in Atlanta, a key battleground state.

“The path to the White House runs right through this state, and you all helped us win in 2020, and we’re going to do it again in 2024. Yes, we will,” she said.

Asserting that the campaign is not just about them versus Trump, Harris said, “Truly, this campaign is about two very different visions for our nation. One focused on the future. The other focused on the past.”

“We are not going back because ours is a fight for the future. It is a fight for freedom,” she said.

“Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on assault on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights. The freedom to vote. The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to live without fear of bigotry and hate. The freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. The freedom to learn and acknowledge our true and full history. And the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not let her government tell her what to do,” she said.

“Ours is a fight for the future and for freedom. I don’t have to tell folks in Atlanta that generations of Americans before us led the fight for freedom. And now the baton is in our hands. Each and every one of us,” Harris said.