US election: Kamala Harris and Barack Obama play ‘no Donald Trump’ card at Georgia rally

Kamala Harris and Barack Obama tell a star-studded Georgia rally Donald Trump will abuse the presidency to pursue his political enemies as voters, including a 100-year-old woman, tell The Weekend Australian who they want for president | WATCH

Former president Barack Obama introduces Kamala Harris at a rally in Clarkston, Georgia. Picture: AP

Kamala Harris and Barack Obama have dialled up their negative campaign against ­Donald Trump as they make a closing economic pitch to ­middle-class America, with the pair headlining a campaign rally for the first time in the key swing state of Georgia.

Although nearly 25 million Americans have already cast their ballots, the decision to go negative is cutting through with Democrat supporters who told The Weekend Australian character was a key factor in how they voted.

While Republicans were more concerned about issues such as immigration and the economy, some early voters conceded they were unable to support Mr Trump and were ­instead casting protest ballots – “writing in” the name of a ­Republican candidate they would have preferred over the former president.

In Atlanta on Thursday night (Friday AEDT) at a set-piece event featuring Bruce Springsteen and Samuel L. Jackson, Ms Harris was introduced to the stage by Mr Obama. The pair embraced ­before Mr Harris told thousands of supporters that Mr Trump would abuse the presidency to pursue his political enemies and reward those loyal to him.

Ms Harris warned there would be no one around to “control him” if he was again successful. She cited Mr Trump’s former chief-of-staff, John Kelly, who said the former president had spoken admiringly of Adolf Hitler. “Take a moment to think about what that means,” she said. “That Trump said, quote, ‘Hitler did some good things.’ And that Trump wished he had generals like Hitler’s who would be loyal to Trump.”

Telling the crowd there would be no “guard rails” on a second term for Mr Trump, Ms Harris said the US Supreme Court had “told the former president that he is ­effectively immune no matter what he does in the White House”.

The stakes were higher than in 2016 or 2020 because, if victorious, Mr Trump would claim “unchecked, an extreme power” and implement economic policies that would drive up prices and plunge the US into recession.

Mr Obama took aim at Donald Trump’s competence. Picture: Getty Images

Earlier, at College Park, outside Atlanta, 57-year-old Annemarie cast an early vote for Ms Harris, but conceded she was “more voting against Donald Trump”. “I’m sure you’ve heard that a lot,” she said. “He has no business being president again. And he, I don’t think, represents what America’s all about. Could we have had a stronger candidate? Yes, had President Biden left the race sooner … But I’m OK with Kamala.”

Kendall, a 57-year-old insurance salesman, said Mr Trump was “just not a good person”. “He has a lot of views that’s really not good for, I think, people and ­obviously for this country,” he said.

After voting for Ms Harris he said: “You follow her trail (and) you follow Donald Trump’s trail. It’s not even comparable. It wasn’t even a decision that I had to think on pretty much.”

Cierra, a 37-year-old full-time student, expressed concern about Mr Trump’s role in the January 6 riot at the Capitol Building in 2021.

“It’s just Donald Trump had his chance. And he didn’t do the right thing. He was saying that he was going to be for the people and he’s not,” she said.

One day after telling CNN that she believed Mr Trump was a fascist, Ms Harris used her rally in ­Atlanta to reaffirm to voters that her focus every day in the top job would be on reducing cost-of-­living pressures for Americans. She said Mr Trump’s policies would tank the economy, arguing his plan to impose taxes on goods coming into the US would amount to a “20 per cent Trump national sales tax on everyday basic necessities which will cost the average family nearly $US4000 a year”. “Donald Trump will raise costs on you and your families,” she warned.

Bruce Springsteen was part of a star-studded lineup at the rally. Picture: Getty Images via AFP.

Framing the upcoming battle over the extension of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, Ms Harris said Mr Trump would “give massive tax cuts to billionaires and the biggest corporations”, while she would give “middle-class tax cuts” to 100 million Americans.

Supporters of the former president said the economy was in better shaper under Mr Trump and felt Ms Harris had her own character problems to address.

At an early voting centre in Tyrone, about 45km south of Atlanta, Gail Floyd, 71, said she had cast her ballot for Mr Trump because “I’ve seen his performance before and I felt like our country was more ­secure, the border was more protected, our economy was better and the world was a quieter, ­calmer place”.

“I think there’s been a bit of a masquerade going on as far as our current President’s abilities,” she said. “And I think Vice-President Harris took part in that … I don’t think she should have come by her candidacy the way she did.”

Andy a 47-year-old truck driver, said he voted for Mr Trump for a few reasons. “The main reason is border security. And the second would be the economy,” he said. “Borders have been just wide open. On the economy, I used to spend $US50 a week on groceries in the truck. Now I’m spending $US120.”

Dana, a 40-year-old civilian employee of the US Defence ­Department, said he had voted for Mr Trump for the first time and was uninspired by Ms Harris and her economic policies.

“When I look at the Democratic candidate it certainly doesn’t seem like a lot of the talking points line up with any vision,” he said.

“I’m also not convinced that the way she even became the candidate was the right way … the fact that she was almost just inserted.”

There was a greater diversity of support further away from ­Atlanta, with other Tyrone residents continuing to express concerns about Mr Trump – including 100-year-old Barbara who was ­assisted into the early voting centre in a wheelchair. She said she was “absolutely” voting for Ms Harris. “I’ve watched her campaign and why in hell anyone, anyone would vote for Trump is beyond me. Beyond me,” she said.

Jasmin, 57, who runs a retail business and just became a US citizen, said abortion was a “big” issue for her. She did not want anyone to “take away my rights as a woman”.

“Also I was born in Germany and I know what fascists look like,” she added.

Other early voters said they supported the Republican Party, but could not bring themselves to vote for Mr Trump because they had concerns about his character. Rich, a 76-year-old retiree, said he had voted in 2016 and 2020 for Mr Trump, but could not do it a third time. “Mostly I vote Republican,” Rich said. “I did not vote for ­Donald Trump and I did not vote for Kamala Harris. I voted a write-in. And I wrote in Mike Pence. I ­admire him. I do not admire ­Donald Trump and I do not ­admire Kamala Harris.”

“At the very bottom of the ballot you can do a write-in. I could write-in Mickey Mouse if I want. Basically, I don’t think either one of the candidates, Trump and Harris, are worthy of my vote … It’s a protest. Donald Trump – I don’t think he has any morals. And that’s why I really can’t vote for him … and Harris I think is just a puppet for the Democratic Party.”

Clarence Barber, 74, also said he was “writing in” the name of his preferred Republican candidate.

Instead of voting for Mr Trump he wrote in Liz Cheney, daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney. Ms Cheney previously served in the US congress and also as vice-chair of the committee examining the January 6 riot at the Capitol Building. She is now campaigning for Ms Harris.

“I’m a lifelong Republican,” Mr Barber said. “I’ve always voted the Republican ticket.”

He said Mr Trump was a “a cheat and a crook and a liar”. “And I just don’t trust him at all,” he added. “And he’s not helping our country. I voted for him in 2016, but after I saw the results and how he governed I changed my mind way before the 2020 election. And now I still feel the same way. On the other hand, I don’t like the Democratic side either. A lot of their position, economic and ­social, are too far liberal.”

Introducing Ms Harris on Thursday night in Atlanta, Mr Obama used his speech to make Mr Trump’s age of 78 a key factor in the November 5 contest and pointed to the former president’s recent description of January 6 as a “day of love”.

“Have you seen Donald Trump lately?” Mr Obama asked.

The former Democratic president said that if “your grandpa was acting like this, you’d call up your brother, call up your cousin. You say, ‘hey, have you noticed grandpa? He’s acting kind of funny right now.”

Mr Obama also said people were talking about how the economy was strong under Mr Trump, but argued that it was “good because it was my economy”. “I had spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans have left me, and then I handed over 75 straight months of job growth to Donald Trump,” he said.

Saving the most severe criticism of Mr Trump until the end of his address, Mr Obama said the former president had abandoned traditional American values, arguing this should not be excused.

“One of the most disturbing things about this election and about Trump’s rise in politics is how we seem to have set the values we were taught aside; how we seem to disregard them; how we pretend they don’t matter,” he said. “And one of the most disturbing things about this … People make excuses. And I’ve noticed this especially with some men who seem to think that Trump’s behaviour is a sign of strength.

“I am here to tell you that is not what real strength is. It never has been. Real strength is about working hard and taking responsibility and telling the truth even when it’s inconvenient. That’s what I want to see in the president of the ­United States of America.”