On Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris made her second appearance in Detroit in as many months.
She was there to address Michigan Democrats during the party’s Legacy Dinner, a major annual fundraiser.
Guests included actress Octavia Spencer and Senator Debbie Stabenow.
During her speech, Harris noted the importance of Michigan to her and President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.
“Michigan, it’s just the facts. You know who to count on when it counts, and you know who you can count on to defend our democracy, our liberty, and our freedoms,” Harris said.
One part of her talk compared economic statistics during her and Biden’s time in office with former President Donald Trump’s.
The campaign for Trump, the presumed Republican nominee, responded by criticizing the inflation rate and arguing that a transition to electric vehicles that the Biden-Harris administration supports could hurt autoworkers.
Victoria LaCivita is communications director for Trump’s Michigan-based efforts.
"They are failing Michiganders on the issues every single day," LaCivita said of Harris and Biden. "Joe Biden is why we cannot afford eggs, milk, and mortgage payments. He's the reason even Michigan is a border state, and why Michiganders are going to lose thousands of jobs to electric vehicles,” a statement from LaCivita read.
Outside of the usual talking points, Harris hammered on Trump’s recent conviction in New York for falsifying business records to aid his campaign.
“You know why he complains? He complains because the reality is cheaters don’t like getting caught. And, since the verdict, he attacks the judge and the witnesses,” Harris said.
Trump and his campaign have called the case “political persecution.”
Despite the mostly positive reception Michigan Democratic Party donors gave Harris Saturday, her speech did see a brief interruption.
During the event, a protester began shouting at Harris, condemning the Biden Administration's support for Israel in its war against Hamas despite the toll on civilians.
The exchange occurred as Harris was highlighting a proposed cease-fire deal that the administration had announced but neither Israel nor Hamas has agreed to.
“We have been working every day to bring this conflict to an end in a way that ensures Israeli is secure, brings home all hostages, ends the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people, and ensures that Palestinians can enjoy their right to self-determination, dignity, and freedom,” Harris said.
Critics of the administration’s stance on the war have threatened to withhold support for Biden and Harris's re-election bid until U.S. policy toward Israel changes.
