Republicans Claim Harris is in ‘Honeymoon’ Phase as Her Support Grows

Republicans continue to argue that Kamala Harris’s early momentum is merely a fleeting “honeymoon” phase, but so far, there are no indications that her support is waning. Despite GOP efforts to criticize her running mate’s military background and gubernatorial tenure in Minnesota, these attacks have not gained traction with voters.

As August approaches, Harris enters the month with a substantial $36 million in campaign funds, bolstered by the recent unveiling of Tim Walz as her vice presidential choice. Polling data reflects a surge in enthusiasm among Democrats and independents following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

While Republicans dismiss this positive shift in the campaign as a temporary trend, they have yet to show any capability to slow Harris’s ascendant momentum. Later this month, Harris and her running mate will take the stage before a national audience at the four-day Democratic National Convention, an event that traditionally boosts candidates’ popularity. This occasion may further enhance her lead through the end of the month.

In response to Donald Trump’s recent, erratic press conference aimed at regaining media attention, his party has claimed that Harris is avoiding questions from the press. However, Harris has asserted that she will conduct a comprehensive sit-down interview by the month’s end and often engages with reporters’ shouted questions during her events.

Senator Markwayne Mullin, a Republican, echoed this sentiment, stating on NewsNation, “All this is a little bit of a honeymoon phase with Harris. She still hasn’t taken any questions from media. She’s done no interviews whatsoever, and she’s hiding from her record. You have to answer those questions at some point.”

Trump has also targeted Harris’s rising profile on social media, expressing skepticism about her performance. On Truth Social, he asserted, “Kamala Harris, whose ‘Honeymoon’ period is ENDING, and is starting to get hammered in the Polls, just copied my NO TAXES ON TIPS Policy. The difference is, she won’t do it; she just wants it for Political Purposes! This was a TRUMP idea – She has no ideas, she can only steal from me.” He went on to emphasize his view that Harris proposed the “LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY,” declaring it unrealistic.

Interestingly, even Trump’s polling experts have acknowledged a change in dynamics since Harris became the Democratic nominee. Pollster Tony Fabrizio indicated that although things are expected to worsen before improving, the overarching fundamentals of the race remain unchanged. He noted that voters are likely to associate Harris with Biden’s policies, particularly her alignment with progressive criminal justice reforms, which could result in a drop in her polling numbers, albeit not for several weeks.

Despite the grim predictions from early this month, signs of a decline remain absent. Just weeks ago, many Democrats privately expressed despair about their electoral prospects for the upcoming fall elections, fearing significant losses at all levels, including the House and Senate. Today, that anxiety has largely dissipated in Washington.

Harris’s campaign is now positioned as increasingly competitive, especially in swing states where Joe Biden had recently struggled. States like Nevada and Arizona, along with traditionally Republican-leaning states such as Florida and North Carolina, have experienced a resurgence in interest and enthusiasm for Democratic candidates.

Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, recently shared her excitement, stating, “It’s hard to even describe the excitement, the energy, momentum, and what we’ve solved over the last week,” following the initial days of Harris campaigning as the presumptive nominee.

A recent poll conducted by a Democrat-leaning group in North Carolina, which Trump won in both 2020 and 2016, revealed Harris is now tied with her Republican opponent.

Even in states like North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida, where victory may be uncertain, Harris’s competitive positioning in these battlegrounds could compel her challengers to allocate considerable funds to their campaigns.

A Financial Times poll indicated that Harris is even slightly leading Trump on economic issues, something that had not occurred previously in the election cycle. In response, Trump made numerous accusations on social media, claiming without evidence that Harris’s campaign utilized artificial intelligence to exaggerate crowd sizes at her latest events, as reports of large turnouts at her rallies in states like Georgia and Arizona surfaced.

Along with these assertions, he has criticized the media for not giving adequate attention to the crowds at his own rallies.

Source: Various news sources