CHICAGO: Kamala Harris took her surging US presidential campaign on a battleground bus tour on Sunday, before heading to the Democratic National Convention for a star turn. The vice-president, riding a wave of enthusiasm after replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket less than a month ago, dashed to the swing state of Pennsylvania to push her case against Republican rival Donald Trump.
Later in the day, the 59-year-old will head to Chicago for a rapturous reception from Democrats, who have dared to hope again after an astonishing turnaround that has seen Harris wipe out Trump's lead in the polls.
A Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos survey published on Sunday showed Harris with a narrow lead over Trump among registered voters across the country, where one month ago it had Trump and Biden in a dead heat.
Security has been ramped up for the Chicago convention, with tens of thousands of protesters expected to rally every day against the Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza.
The demonstrations are expected to continue until Thursday, with major gatherings scheduled for Monday and Wednesday in particular. "We are ready," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told ABC on Sunday, adding that his police force was working with the Secret Service and other agencies to ensure a "safe, peaceful, yet vibrant" convention. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said the planned protests would be allowed as long as they remained peaceful.
The four-day Democratic bonanza comes hot on the heels of one of the most tumultuous election cycles in memory, including an assassination attempt on Trump and the 81-year-old Biden's stunning withdrawal. Trump, 78, has struggled to adapt to a shake-up which has made him, rather than Biden, the oldest presidential candidate in US history.
The Republican nominee has lashed out at Harris with increasingly bizarre personal insults, despite appeals by fellow Republicans to stick to the issues. At a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, the former president doubled down on his confrontational style, saying that he was "much better looking" than Harris and branding her a "lunatic."
Pennsylvania, in the US "Rust Belt," is perhaps the most prized of the half-dozen key swing states that might decide the 2024 race, and both candidates are making repeated visits.
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