Editorial 23 July 2024.
Tuesday’s US front pages continue to be dominated by domestic politics. Politics moves quickly and now the dust has settled on Joe Biden’s shock announcement that he will no longer seek re-election, all eyes have turned to Vice President Kamala Harris – who not only has Biden’s backing but has seen a surge in support from other Democratic heavyweights – and donations are skyrocketing.
The US front pages reflect the questions on everyone’s lips: What will a Harris-Trump election race look like? And Can Harris beat Trump?
‘All eyes on the vice president’
The Washington Post’s front page is dedicated to several political stories. Its lead says following Biden’s withdrawal, both Trump and Harris have been forced to change tactics The paper says Trump’s campaign has been built around Biden and had hoped the 81-year-old president would remain in the race. A side article writes Harris has all but clinched the nomination, noting donations have been rolling in.
The paper’s editorial looks at what went wrong for Biden, saying those who bet on him made an ‘epic miscalculation.’
The New York Times reports ‘all eyes are on the vice president’. Many Democrats endorsed the vice president as their party’s standard-bearer, but some donors questioned whether more competition for the role was needed, it says.
The Los Angeles Times reports the donations have been pouring in as top donors and leaders get behind Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. The paper’s lead story highlights the historic moment that a potential Harris administration would be – and who could potentially be her running mate.
The San Franciso Chronicle notes Democratic heavyweight Nancy Pelosi – former Speaker of the House – has backed Harris, reporting the Democrats are now focused on uniting the party and its base. In its editorial, the paper says the election battle is now between the border crisis vs abortion rights.
The Boston Globe also looks at who Harris could pick as her running mate, suggesting that the person who will help her win the election. The paper reports that both Harris and Trump are on the campaign trail. Further down the paper, it notes Harris has re-energised reproductive rights activists.
The US tabloids have their say.
New York Post has a mocked-up image of Harris crowning herself – as it reports Nancy Pelosi has backed Harris. The paper says Pelosi is the latest top Democrat to ‘try to rig’ the nomination for VP and avoid a conte4sted convention. The paper says President Biden was ‘sulking’ in Deleware, cancelling events amid his Covid battle.
USA Today looks inside the Harris HQ – the paper says the VP has hit the campaign trail. The paper says “Still, Harris herself appeared to have been caught off guard by Biden’s decision. She did not have a campaign announcement prepared. How could she without it looking as if she was pulling levers behind the scenes to oust her boss?”
Daily News reports the Harris campaign has banked $231 million in 24 hours. The paper reports on Harris’s first speech since Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election for the White House and instead has chosen to back his vice president Harris to run against Trump in November.