麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Kamala Harris says she's ready to fight for America's future, tells Republicans to 'bring it on'

Share
HOUSTON -

Vice President Kamala Harris told Republicans to "bring it on" in what she described as a "fight for our most fundamental freedoms" as she spoke to the American Federation of Teachers on Thursday.

It was her latest stop in her whirlwind debut as the Democrats' likely presidential nominee after President Joe Biden abruptly dropped his bid for a second term at the beginning of the week.

Harris praised unions as the foundation of the middle class, and she criticized Republicans for their views on gun control and public education.

"They have the nerve to tell teachers to strap on a gun in the classroom while they refuse to pass commonsense gun safety laws," she said.

Harris added that "we want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books."

The American Federation of Teachers was the first labour union to formally endorse Harris, and its president Randi Weingarten said she "has electrified this race."

Harris intends to travel aggressively to spread her message and rally voters. The outreach occurs as the retooled Biden campaign, now under Harris' control, figures out its strategy for generating turnout and maximizing her time in a 100-plus day sprint to the November election against Republican Donald Trump.

In Trump, Harris is up against the survivor of a recent assassination attempt with tens of millions of loyalists committed to returning him to the Oval Office. Just as Harris is trying to draw a contrast with Trump, he is working to do the same with her.

Trump went on the offensive at a rally Wednesday in North Carolina, calling Harris a "real liberal" who is "much worse" than Biden. The former president claimed without evidence that Harris had misled voters about the health of the 81-year-old Biden and his ability to run for the presidency.

Harris' appearance at the teachers union's biennial convention in Houston follows a rally Tuesday in the Milwaukee area and a speech Wednesday to a gathering of the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta in Indianapolis.

"We know when we organize, mountains move," she told sorority members. "When we mobilize, nations change. And when we vote, we make history."

Her campaign is seizing on the growing pop culture interest surrounding her candidacy, releasing a video Thursday that is set to Beyonce's "Freedom." The video, designed for social media consumption, underscores a core message of Harris campaign -- freedom on abortion rights, freedom from gun violence and freedom "not just to get by, but to get ahead."

The 1.8 million-member AFT has backed Harris and her pro-union agenda on the premise that a second Trump term could result in restrictions on organized laboUr and a potential loss of funding for education.

The AFL-CIO, which represents 60 laboUr unions including the AFT, has backed Harris. But the vice president has yet to get the endorsement of the United Auto Workers, whose president, Shawn Fain, told CNBC this week that the union's executive board will make that decision.

Fain spoke at the AFT conference on Wednesday and was blistering in his criticism of Trump. The former president has relied on blue-collar voters to compete politically nationwide, but he failed to win a majority of union households in 2020 when he lost to Biden, according to AP VoteCast.

Later Thursday, Harris will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people

Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.

The union representing some 1,200 dockworkers at the Port of Montreal has overwhelmingly rejected a deal with their employers association.

A man who was critically injured in a police-involved shooting in Hamilton late Sunday afternoon has died in hospital, says the province鈥檚 police watchdog.

opinion

opinion How to transition from renting to owning a home in Canada

In his column for CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew offers a step-by-step guide on how to make the shift from renting to becoming a homeowner, and what you can start doing today to help the process go smoother.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

Local Spotlight

For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.