Vice President Kamala Harris addressed anti-Israel protesters who interrupted her rally in Arizona on Friday, responding to them by saying, “I respect your voices.”
The disruption occurred about five minutes into Harris’ speech at the Desert Diamond Arena near Phoenix. Her reaction this time was noticeably different from her approach in Michigan the previous day, where she quickly silenced and reprimanded anti-Israel protesters.
As her supporters chanted “USA, USA” to drown out the protesters, Harris paused and said, “Hold on a second. Hold on, hold on, hold on everybody.”
She then continued, “We’re here to fight for our democracy, which includes respecting the voices that I think we are hearing from,” making it clear that she acknowledged the demonstrators’ right to express their opinions.
“And let me just say this — on the topic of what I think I’m hearing over there — let me just speak to that for a moment, and then I’m going to get back to the business at hand,” Harris added.
Harris reiterated her stance on the ongoing conflict, stating, “I have been clear — now is the time to get a cease-fire deal and get the hostage deal done,” and mentioned that she and President Biden, 81, have been “working around the clock” to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
She then shifted back to her prepared remarks, saying, “So, I respect your voices, but we are here to now talk about this race in 2024.”
Harris seemed more willing to engage with her critics in Phoenix compared to her reaction in Detroit, where anti-Israel demonstrators had interrupted her with chants like, “Kamala! Kamala! You can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide!” during her speech.
On Thursday, after several disruptions in Detroit, Harris responded sharply, saying, “You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking,” before glaring at the protesters.
Despite the brief interruption, the crowd at the Arizona rally, which Harris attended with her new running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, remained largely enthusiastic.
According to Harris’ campaign, about 15,000 supporters filled the arena, a number that is believed to be a record for a Democratic political event in Arizona.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who took the stage before Harris to chants of “Coach, Coach, Coach,” joked about the size of the crowd, saying, “It’s not as if anybody cares about crowd sizes or anything.”
Walz then praised the crowd, saying, “You came here for one simple reason: You love this democracy,” and commended them for enduring the 106-degree heat to attend the rally.
In his remarks, Walz highlighted his military background, which has been a topic of discussion among Republicans and veterans since his selection as Harris’ running mate. “Two days after I turned 17, my dad took me down to join the Army National Guard. And for 24 years, I proudly wore that uniform,” Walz said.
He also reflected on the opportunities his military service provided, saying, “I’m proud of that service, but what my nation gave my dad and millions of others and me was an opportunity to use the GI Bill to get a college education,” referencing his father, a Korean War veteran.
Rally attendees were generally positive about Harris’ choice of Walz as her running mate, although some admitted they hadn’t heard of him before the announcement.
Tony McMurray, a central Phoenix resident who works in construction, shared his thoughts with The Post, saying, “I was surprised, but I’m really happy,” about Harris choosing Walz. He admitted, “I’d never heard of him,” but after learning more about Walz, he was “happy to hear” about the selection.
Another attendee, Isabella from Phoenix, echoed similar sentiments, saying she “never heard him before” Tuesday but added, “I like his vibe.” She also mentioned that Walz seemed “more personable than JD Vance,” referring to the Ohio senator and GOP vice presidential nominee.
Daniel from North Phoenix expressed that Walz seemed like “somebody I ought to go camping with,” highlighting his approachable demeanor.
During the rally, when the crowd began chanting “lock him up” in response to Walz’s criticism of former President Donald Trump, the energetic governor initially tried to calm the crowd but eventually joined in, saying, “Better yet, beat the hell out of him at the ballot box.”
Trump, who won Arizona by 3.5 percentage points in 2016 against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, lost the state to Biden in 2020 by a margin of less than one percentage point.
As the 2024 election approaches, Arizona is once again expected to be a closely contested battleground. According to a FiveThirtyEight poll average, Trump leads Harris by a slim margin of 0.4 percentage points, 44.8% to 44.4%, in the state where 11 Electoral College votes are at stake.
Immigration is a key issue for Arizona voters this election cycle, and Harris briefly touched on the topic during her speech, saying, “We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it.” She called for “comprehensive reform that includes strong border security and an earned pathway to citizenship.”
Harris also criticized Trump for opposing a legislative effort earlier this year aimed at addressing border security and immigration reform, arguing that while Trump “talks a big game about border security,” he doesn’t “walk the walk.”
{Matzav.com}