As the US presidential election is just around the corner, President Kamala Harris, along with her newly appointed running mate Tim Walz, held a rally in Arizona on Friday.
After nominating Walz as her running mate, the vice president aims to win support in electoral battlegrounds, according to ABC News.
Harris addressed an audience of more than 15,000 people gathered at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, who were excited by the Democratic candidate's speech on Friday.
Phyllis Zero, a 65-year-old grandmother from Maricopa, praised Harris's remarks on unity and her policies on health care and reproductive rights.
“His message to me was not just one of hope, but of a renewed faith in democracy, that we can do this,” Zeno said.
Jen Duran, a 37-year-old mother and independent voter, was also impressed by the vice president's commendable policies.
“I have a daughter who has been in elementary school since she was 4 years old, and today we received a notification that there was a lockdown drill,” Duran said. “So the safety of our children is very important.”
Speaking to the crowd, Harris discussed actions she has taken in the past as a law enforcement officer, including against transnational gangs, drug cartels and smugglers.
“I tried them case after case and I won,” Harris told a crowd of more than 15,000 in Glendale, a Phoenix suburb. “So I know what I’m talking about.”
During her speech, Gaza protesters interrupted the vice president. She stopped and said: “Wait a second.”
Harris said she has been clear that “now is the time to reach a ceasefire agreement” to end fighting between Israel and Hamas that has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza.
The Democratic presidential candidate said she and President Joe Biden “are working day and night to get that ceasefire agreement done and bring the hostages home.”
Harris added: “I respect their voices, but we are here now to talk about this race in 2024.”
Donald Trump, on the other hand, visited Montana for a rally in support of Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy.
Earlier on Friday, the former president's plane was diverted on its way to the Montana rally due to a mechanical issue; however, the Billings airport staffer landed safely in nearby Billings.
