GLENDALE, Ariz. – Vice President Kamala Harris took a moment to address the anti-Israel protesters who disrupted her rally in Arizona on Friday, telling them, “I respect your voice.”
The interruption came about five minutes into Ms. Harris’ speech before a sold-out crowd at Desert Diamond Arena outside Phoenix. The 59-year-old’s response to the protesters was a marked change from her Thursday appearance in Michigan, where she silenced and rebuked anti-Israel hecklers.
“Hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on, everybody hold on,” Harris said as her supporters chanted “USA, USA” to drown out the protests.
“We’re here to fight for our democracy, and that includes respecting the voices we believe are being heard,” the Democratic presidential candidate continued.
“So, what I think I’m hearing over there, let me just talk about that for a second and then we’ll get back to the point.
“I have been clear: now is the time to get a ceasefire and a hostage deal done,” Harris declared, adding that she had been “working day and night” with President Biden, 81, to get a ceasefire deal done between Israel and Hamas.
“I respect your opinions, but we’re here to discuss the 2024 campaign,” she said, returning to her prepared remarks.
Ms. Harris was more eager to engage with her critics in Phoenix than in Detroit, where anti-Israel hecklers chanted “Kamala! Kamala! You can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide!” as she spoke.
“You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, say it. If you don’t, I’ll talk,” she said Thursday, stopping to glare at protesters after a series of disruptions.
Despite the momentary disruption, there was overwhelming jubilation among the large crowd that Harris and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, drew in Arizona on Friday.
According to the Harris campaign, about 15,000 supporters gathered at the arena. Record of Democratic Party political events It’s in the Grand Canyon State.
“Nobody cares about the size of the crowd or anything like that,” Walz joked, taking the stage to chants of “Coach, coach, coach” before Harris spoke.
“You’re here for one reason only: because you love our democracy,” the Minnesota governor and former congressman told the enthusiastic crowd, praising those who braved 106-degree heat to come to the rally.
Five minutes into his remarks, Walz addressed his own military service, which has been questioned by Republicans and veterans since he was selected as Harris’ running mate.
“Two days after I turned 17, my dad took me to enlist in the Army National Guard, and for the last 24 years I’ve proudly worn that uniform,” he said.
“I am proud of his service, but what our country gave my father, and millions of others, was the opportunity to take advantage of the GI Bill to pursue a college education,” Waltz added, referring to his father, a Korean War veteran.
Rally attendees were overwhelmingly supportive of Harris’s selection as vice presidential candidate, even though several admitted they had never heard of her before Tuesday.
“I was surprised, but I’m really happy,” Tony McMurry, a Central Valley resident and construction worker, told The Post about Harris’ nomination of Walz.
“I hadn’t heard of him,” he admitted, adding that he was “hoping and thinking” that Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly would be selected, but after researching Waltz, he was “happy to hear he was selected.”
“I love his vibe,” said Isabella, a Phoenix native, who admitted Tuesday that she had “never listened to his music.”
“I think he’s more personable than J.D. Vance,” she added, referring to Vance, the Ohio senator and Republican vice presidential nominee.
“He seems like someone I should go camping with,” said Daniel, a North Phoenix native.
When chants of “lock him up” erupted after Walz accused former President Donald Trump of “doing it only for himself,” the exuberant governor half-heartedly tried to calm the crowd before yelling, “Let’s just destroy him at the ballot box.”
Trump, 78, defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Arizona by 3.5 percentage points in 2016, but lost to Biden by less than 1 percentage point in 2020.
The 2024 election campaign is likely to be just as fierce as it was four years ago.
According to a FiveThirtyEight average of polls, Trump is leading Harris by just 0.4 percentage points (44.8% to 44.4%) in states where the 11 electoral votes will be at stake in November.
Immigration It’s one of the biggest issues facing Arizonans. Harris has spoken briefly about the issue during this campaign, touching on it briefly in her speeches.
“We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it,” she said. “We need comprehensive reform, including strong border security and a pathway to citizenship.”
Harris criticized Trump’s opposition to congressional bills aimed at addressing border security and immigration reform earlier this year, claiming the former president “talks big about border security” but “doesn’t take action.”
