"Dozens Lined Up" Harris Targets 'Anti-Trump' Republican Voters

'Harris Supporter Republicans' Campaign
Trump Administration Spokesperson Grisham
Vice President Pence Advisor Troya and Others
Prominent Figures Also Named, Drawing Attention

Haley's Supporter Outreach Strategy
Harris Plans Rallies with Republicans

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has begun to focus on courting anti-Trump Republican voters. With the upcoming U.S. presidential election in November expected to be a "neck-and-neck" race, the intention is to win over moderate Republicans.

Harris Campaign Launches Republican Outreach Campaign

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to major foreign media including NBC News on the 4th (local time), the Harris campaign launched a new campaign called "Republicans for Harris" on the same day. The Associated Press explained that this is a strategy to attract moderate Republicans who reject MAGA (Make America Great Again), the slogan of former President Trump, which refers to the far-right faction of the Republican Party supporting Trump.

About 30 Republicans have signed on. This includes figures from Trump’s first administration. Stephanie Grisham, former White House press secretary, is a representative example. In a statement, Grisham said, "I believe Vice President Harris will fight for our freedoms, protect democracy, and represent the United States with honor and dignity on the world stage," explaining her support. Olivia Troye, former chief of staff and national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, also expressed support for Vice President Harris.

Although Republicans, former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who served in the Obama administration, were also on the list of supporters. Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman also supported Vice President Harris. Sixteen former members of the House of Representatives, including Denver Riggleman, who served as counsel for the House special committee investigating the Capitol riot by Trump supporters, were included. All 16 have previously criticized former President Trump.

Some Republicans Say "MAGA Is Unacceptable"... Election Expected to Be Close

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

CNN reported, "Although past Republican leaders have expressed concerns about former President Trump publicly or privately, none had supported Democratic President Biden or Vice President Harris." However, voices within the party emerged opposing Trump’s MAGA, judging that it does not align with the traditional values and principles of the Republican Party, leading to opposition against Trump’s re-election and even support for the opposing candidate.

CNBC explained that this new initiative by the Harris campaign came relatively quickly, just two weeks after President Joe Biden announced he would not run in the election. CNBC analyzed that the reason Harris is targeting moderate Republicans is because current polls show Vice President Harris is in a tight race with former President Trump within the margin of error, suggesting the November election outcome could be decided by a narrow margin of voters.

In particular, the Harris campaign is said by the Associated Press to have a strategy to court voters who supported Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, in the Republican presidential primary. Haley, who withdrew from the Republican primary in March, later declared support for former President Trump, but Trump himself has been criticized for making little effort to court moderate voters like Haley’s base.

Trump Criticizes... Harris Camp Says "MAGA Will Be Poison"

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Former President Trump criticized Republicans who support Vice President Harris. On the same day, Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social, which he created, saying, "Republicans who oppose the candidate (Trump) make it harder to defeat radical left-wing fanatics, so they must be expelled from the party."

Austin Weatherford, national director of Republican outreach for the Harris campaign, stated in a memo, "Former President Trump’s MAGA extremism no longer makes Republicans believe it represents their values," emphasizing, "This will be poison to millions of Republicans who may cast a vote against him in November." He added, "Vice President Harris and our campaign are fully committed to gaining the support of fellow Republicans who care about defending democracy and restoring dignity."

Vice President Harris plans to campaign this week in battleground states such as Arizona, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania alongside Republican figures who support her. It is also reported that her soon-to-be-named running mate will attend.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.