(NewsNation) — Members of the Congressional Black Caucus believe Vice President Kamala Harris will not only secure the Democratic nomination but offer former President Donald Trump a formidable fight in November.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., and Rep. Gabe Amo, D-R.I., joined “The Hill on NewsNation” to discuss Harris’ burgeoning campaign. Announced on Sunday, her White House bid has already added roughly $81 to the Biden-Harris war chest.
McClellan and Amo echoed the CBC’s endorsement of Harris, telling NewsNation her candidacy is of utmost importance to the nation’s democracy.
“We have to articulate that she is going to be the Democratic nominee who is going to earn and win that nomination,” Amo said. “And it will not be a hypothetical. This will be a real matchup, a matchup about the future versus the past, a matchup around freedom versus the restriction of fundamental rights in this country.”
Currently, official GOP nominee Trump leads Harris by around 2 points, according to aggregate Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) polling. Harris sits at 45%, while Trump records 47%. That’s comparable to Trump’s 2.5% lead over President Joe Biden.
With independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taken into consideration, Trump has a 6-point lead over Harris. The vice president’s favorability currently sits at 38%, below Biden’s 41%.
“But let’s not focus on the numbers today,” Amo said. “Let’s focus on the two visions that are at hand,”
Harris joined the race mere hours after Biden suspended his 2024 run, egged on by Democratic calls to leave following a poor debate performance.
“At the end of the day, it was President Biden’s decision whether to press forward or not. And he felt that it was in the best interest of the country, in the party, not to press forward, “McClellan said. “And we have to respect that decision.”
McClellan believes excitement has overtaken the party’s initial relief.
“Let me tell you, the base is excited. I have had my phone blowing up,” she said. “From people who had been on the sidelines to being on a call last night with 40,000 women who were excited and ready to go elect Kamala Harris.”
Neither congressperson offered a specific guess for her potential running mate, but Amo clarified that whoever takes the job will be someone who has a “proven record of leadership.”