Raw Story

Vice President Kamala Harris' acceptance speech of the Democratic Party's presidential nomination Thursday beat MAGA to the political punch and captured a key voting bloc in the process, according to a former Republican spokesperson.

Tara Setmayer, Seneca Project co-founder and former GOP communications director, argued during a CNN Friday morning that Harris positioned herself as a potential commander-in-chief before former President Donald Trump could define her as a threat.

"This was the opportunity for Kamala Harris to define herself to the American people ahead of what MAGA has been trying to do, what Donald Trump has been trying to do," Setmayer said.

"If you don't think it was effective, all you have to do is look at how Donald Trump and his surrogates were responding to her speech: there was a meltdown."

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The former GOP representative did not clarify her frame of reference, but could have been pointing to Trump's live-posted complaints to Truth Social or a Fox News tirade interrupted repeatedly by Trump's mistaken bashings on his telephone buttons.

Setmayer argued Friday Harris appeared, in comparison to Trump, more competent to represent the nation in the Oval Office.

"She looked presidential, she sounded presidential," Setmayer said. "It almost felt like a State of the Union."

Harris' claim to a presidential identity landed with Setmayer and, the political commentator argued, with a key group of center politics voters that ushered Trump into the White House in 2016.

It's also a voting bloc with less access to abortion after three Trump-appointees voted to overturn Roe v. Wade with the historic Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling of 2022.

"It was white suburban women who elected Donald Trump," Setmayer said. Now, she said, "Women are going, 'Wait a minute, we won't go back.'"

Setmayer repeatedly described Harris' outreach to those women as brilliant.

"Harris has really brilliantly captured that spirit," she said. "Women, I think are coming together in solidarity, because it's still women in the battleground states that are going to make the difference."

Paul Begala, co-panelist and onetime campaign adviser to former President Bill Clinton, concurred that Harris had the upper hand when it came to unifying a political party ahead of Election Day on Nov. 5.

Begala pointed to Harris' promise to be a president for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, as a crucial moment in her speech when it came to unifying her base.

"You can unify a party at the extreme, you can, you know, if it's all just the Cro-Magnons and the Neanderthals, not naming names to any party," he quipped.

"But to take a big diverse coalition, like Kamala Harris has, and hold it all together, to welcome Tara Setmayer into the fold? ... That's how you win in this country."

Watch the full conversation below or click here

CHICAGO — Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and former Donald Trump administration Ambassador Carlos Trujillo came to Chicago on Thursday to rip on the city as what they consider an example of the ravages of illegal immigration.

Yet, amid the bashing of Chicago and Vice President Kamala Harris for not being tough enough on undocumented migrants, Ramaswamy — who reportedly has political ambitions in a future Trump administration or as an Ohio gubernatorial or U.S. Senate candidate — gave props to Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, at a press conference at the Trump International Hotel and Tower.

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“I gotta admit I kind of like Tim Walz’s slogan. What does he say? ‘Mind your own damn business,’” Ramaswamy said at the press conference hosted by the Trump campaign.

Ramaswamy repurposed the slogan with an “anti-woke” sentiment he’s known to push, contrasting with Walz’s message about Republicans intruding on citizens' reproductive freedoms.

“It's a message that we espouse ourselves when it comes to entering your house and taking your gas stove, mind your own damn business,” Ramaswamy said. “When it comes to letting millions of illegals into this country to commit crimes and mind our business, we tell them mind your own damn business. When it comes to actually indoctrinating our children in this country, telling small businesses who they can and cannot hire … mind your own damn business.”

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The press conference — part of a week's worth of daily Trump campaign counter-programming outside the Democratic National Convention — started with new Trump campaign ads featuring a video compilation of Harris’ comments saying that “an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal.”

Trujillo, who served as U.S. permanent representative to the Organization of American States from March 2018 to January 2021, bashed "sanctuary cities" such as Chicago, which won’t deny someone city services strictly because of their immigration status.

“The United States is not a sanctuary for all. It’s a sanctuary for Americans who come here to work for our county and to defend our Constitution,” Trujillo said.

Carlos Trujillo, former ambassador, speaks to press at the Trump Tower in Chicago in Thursday. (Photo by Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story).

Ramaswamy called Chicago “a city ravaged and devastated by the effects of not only rampant crime, but rampant crime worsened by the effects of illegal mass migration to this country.”

The estimated illegal immigrant population in the United States was 11 million in 2022, according to a July 2024 article from the Pew Research Center. The number peaked at 12.2 million in 2007.

The latest homicide statistics from the City of Chicago show that there have been 364 killings in Chicago this year through Aug. 17 — 34 less than the same time last year. Chicago began to see a decline in homicides in 2022 after a spike in 2020 and 2021, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Tyrone Muhammad, founder of Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change and Ex-Cons for Trump, attended the press conference in support of Ramaswamy and Trump. As a native Chicagoan who said he served 21 years in prison for murder, Muhammad agreed with Ramswamy’s characterization of Chicago a crime-ridden city saying he understands “what gang drugs and violence does.”

“They're saying the right messages, talking about the right points in our communities. The only question I would have is, why don't Republicans reach out more to communities that feel more disinvested by the Democratic Party?” Muhammad said. “For 60 years, my grandmama, uncles and family members have traditionally voted Democrat, and so here's the opportunity for us to do something different and give another party a chance to see how they can help fix some of the issues.”

J.R. Majewski, a controversial former congressional candidate from Ohio, sat in the audience at the Trump press conference and posted on X his support of Ramaswamy’s speech.

The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to Raw Story’s request for comment.

Harris is scheduled to deliver her presidential nomination acceptance speech tonight at Chicago's United Center, where prime-time Democratic National Committee festivities have taken place since Monday.

Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance (R-OH) made an awkward trip to a donut shop in Georgia as an employee asked not to be pictured with him.

Before delivering a speech in Valdosta on Thursday, Vance's campaign visited a donut shop, where the candidate tried to place an order himself.

"The zoo has come to town," Vance told the woman at the counter. "Thank you for letting us come in here."

"She doesn't want to be on film, guys," the candidate instructed his camera crew. "So just cut her out of anything. I appreciate that, ma'am."

The Republican nominee then felt the need to introduce himself.

"I'm J.D. Vance and I'm running for vice president," he said before placing his order. "We're going to do two dozen. Just a random sort of stuff here."

"Yeah, it'll be a lot of glazed here, some sprinkled stuff," Vance continued. "Some of these cinnamon rolls. Just whatever makes sense."

At that point, a campaign staffer assured the donut shop employee that she would not be recorded.

"If you don't want to be on film, you're okay," the staffer said.

Vance pushed forward by struggling to make small talk while his order was filled.

"How long has this place been around?" he asked.

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"About four years," one employee replied.

"About four years? Okay," Vance remarked. "Well, we selected this place. I didn't know if it had been here for 20 years or four years."

Watch the video below from C-SPAN.

Far-right North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's bid for governor appears to be in trouble — and furthermore, it seems to be jeopardizing former President Donald Trump's own chances of carrying a state he narrowly won twice.

A new poll from SurveyUSA found Robinson trailing Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein by a whopping 48-34. Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, is up on Trump by a hair in a near-tie, at 46-45.

Robinson, a gun-rights activist who shocked the political world with his under-the-radar win for lieutenant governor four years ago even as Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper won re-election, has come repeatedly under fire for controversial past statements, including that he is skeptical of the Holocaust, that America was better before women had the right to vote, that school shooting survivors are "prosti-tots," that Beyoncé is "Satanic," that former NFL star Ray Rice's girlfriend had her domestic abuse coming to her, and that America might be controlled by lizard people.

He has also faced scrutiny over his personal career, with accusations he failed to file income taxes for five years and that he and his wife falsified paperwork on the qualifications of employees they hired for a day care facility they once owned.

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In recent weeks, Robinson has tried to soften his image, going from calling abortion "genocide" to admitting his wife had one.

Robinson is not the only statewide candidate complicating the election for the North Carolina GOP. Homeschooling activist Michele Morrow unexpectedly unseated the Republican incumbent in the primary for Superintendent of Public Instruction, where she has come under controversy for past social media posts urging Trump to declare a military coup in 2020 and proclaiming her belief that the Chinese Communist Party stationed troops in Canada to rig the U.S. election.

Nor are the GOP's problems isolated to North Carolina. In several battlegrounds, Trump loyalists have won the nomination for competitive races; another such candidate is Kari Lake, who after refusing to accept her loss in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election secured the nomination for Senate this year. Even Trump himself has reportedly soured on her amid fears she can't win.

Arkansas recorded more voter registration submissions during the days immediately after the top of the Democratic ticket shifted from President Joe Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris than any other comparable time period this year, state data shows.

More than 4,800 Arkansans submitted voter registration forms to the secretary of state’s office following Biden’s announcement to not seek reelection and Harris’ campaign launch on July 21, according to an analysis of data as of Aug. 1.

Energy spikes in wake of Harris’ presidential endorsement, Arkansas Democrats say

“It’s always great to see people get excited about an election and people take more interest in democracy for whatever reason,” said Kristin Foster, deputy director of the voter advocacy group Get Loud Arkansas. “…When something big like this happens, it’s good to see people get energized rather than feel apathetic or see a negative response in it.”

The period from July 21 to Aug. 1 saw a 42% increase in voter registration submissions compared to the average number of forms submitted during similar time periods this year.

The secretary of state also logged more voter registration forms in July than any other month this year. With 12,474 total, July submissions were 17% higher than the next closest month of February. More than one third of the submissions in July were completed in the days after Biden’s announcement.

“Being an election year, there are, no doubt, voter registration drives happening all over the state at any given time,” said Chris Powell, spokesperson for the secretary of state’s office. “We would not be able to speculate as to the reason for a particular uptick during the time frame [of July 21 to Aug. 1]. However, we always encourage eligible Arkansans to register and participate in the voting process.”

Powell was unable to say if voter registration submissions historically increase after a candidate announcement.

The secretary of state’s office tracks Arkansas’ voter data by county and date of registration. While residents have the option to select a political party, most choose not to specify. The data does not include demographic details of the registrants except for their date of birth, which was used in the Advocate’s analysis.

Of the 4,857 voter registration forms submitted from July 21 to Aug. 1, approximately 2,000 were young voters, or people who will not yet be 30 years old when they cast their ballot on Election Day.

About 400 more young voters, an increase of about 29%, registered during the days immediately following Biden’s announcement compared to the average number of young people who filed during similar periods this year, data showed.

“We want to make sure that that excitement and hope and motivation to be involved in the process is a positive experience for them,” Foster said of young voters. “Unfortunately, if you look at participation rates … they’re pretty likely to turn out the first time, but if they have a negative experience, or if they feel like their vote isn’t reflective, isn’t making a difference, it’s very likely to see them not continue to vote in the next election.”

Paper process

Arkansas’ data aligns with a national trend of increased voter registrations following the presidential shake up, but it’s likely the full effect of Harris’ campaign in the state won’t be evident until later, Foster said.

Vote.org, a national nonprofit with the mission to increase voter turnout, reported at least 38,500 people across the country registered to vote in the 48-hours after Harris launched her presidential campaign. Approximately 83% of the registrations were young voters, according to a Vote.org press release on July 24.

That data does not include paper submissions, which is the only permitted filing method in Arkansas with the exception of electronic forms completed at specific state agencies, such as the DMV.

While residents in other states can use their computers or cellphones to register, Arkansans must travel to fill out forms or print out and mail their registration to county clerk offices.

“I think that if we had access to online voter registration like most other states do, we probably would have seen an even bigger increase because people could have taken immediate action,” Foster said.

Arkansas is also one of eight states that does not allow online voter registration. The state also ranks last in the nation for voter participation, according to a study from the National Conference on Citizenship.

Electronic signatures on voter registration forms are prohibited unless completed at specific state agencies. A lawsuit challenging this rule, filed by Get Loud Arkansas, has a hearing set for later this month.

The State Board of Election Commissioners approved a permanent rule requiring “wet signatures” on voter forms in July. Arkansas lawmakers will consider the rule for final implementation Thursday.

Arkansas election board approves voter registration rule

When asked if an online registration platform could lead to more registered voters, Chris Madison, director of the election commission, said his answer would be speculative because people would choose different avenues to complete the form.

“You have people that are willing to do it online, that are willing to do it by paper,” Madison said. “If you want to register to vote, it’s easy. If there’s ways to do it, people will get it done.”

Arkansas currently has more than 1.7 million registered voters, though the secretary of state’s office did not discern how many registrants are active and inactive. The highest count of registered voters is recorded in Pulaski County, the state’s most populous county.

Registered voters account for about 58% of Pulaski County’s population.

The state’s least populated county, Calhoun County in southeast Arkansas, has the lowest number of registered voters at 2,896, which makes up about 62% of its residents.

An additional benefit to the recent spike in registered voters is the likelihood that more people will get involved in local elections at the polls and afterward, Foster said.

“Civic engagement isn’t just the one day you go vote,” she said. “It’s being involved after that to make sure that your elected officials are accountable to their voters.”

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on Facebook and X.

During an appearance on MSNBC on Wednesday morning, NBC national political analyst John Heilemann singled out former First Lady Michelle Obama's star return at the Democratic National Convention and explained to the hosts of "Morning Joe" why her reappearance on the national scene is yet another blow to Donald Trump.

With the former president's re-election bid reeling from the ascension of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party's 2024 presidential nominee, Heilemann stated that Michelle Obama's nationally televised DNC speech was yet another set-back for Team Trump.

"I think Michelle Obama — as a piece of political communication, I can't think that I've seen anyone do it better than I saw her do it last night," he began. "And she's in the upper echelon of any convention speech ever been given. I think it's important that this the notion of the reluctant warrior, her credibility, people say she is one of the most popular political figures in the Democratic Party or political figures in the country."

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"Her power comes from she is not a political figure; she is beyond politics," he elaborated. "Her credibility comes from the fact that people rightly, correctly believe that she takes the stage reluctantly because she doesn't see politics as a game, as something she wants to take partake in. She only comes out that she thinks the stakes are so high."

"And the fact that she speaks, Michelle Robinson from working-class Chicago speaks in a vernacular that is different than her husband's and different from anybody else," he continued. "The directness of her message to a lot of people in the Democratic coalition which was there is no time for fooling around here, none of this Goldilocks stuff where we have to have the perfect candidate. Don't get precious about whether anybody has asked you enough times to go out and do what you have to do here. I'm telling you that the stakes are really high. I need, you need, to work now. stop screwing around."

"Her directness, very powerful, I thought," he concluded.

Watch below or click here.

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