Trump seeking to blunt Harris campaign's momentum

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump plans a campaign rally in Minnesota as he tries to recapture momentum after Vice-President Kamala Harris's whirlwind week in which she emerged as his new Democratic opponent.

Trump's event with vice-presidential running mate senator JD Vance on Saturday brings him to a midwestern state that has not chosen a Republican presidential candidate in 52 years, as the former president seeks to press into territory that became friendlier in the past few months before President Joe Biden, 81, dropped his re-election bid.

Harris, the first Black woman and first Asian American to serve as vice-president, swiftly consolidated Democratic support after Biden tapped her to succeed him last Sunday, and a handful of public opinion polls show her appearing to have made up some of the ground Biden lost after a disastrous debate performance.

Trump's campaign event in St Cloud, Minnesota, will take place in a hockey arena, an indoor venue that complies with the US Secret Service's recommendation that he avoid large outdoor events following the attempt on his life at a Pennsylvania rally two weeks ago.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since Richard Nixon in 1972.

US Vice-President Kamala Harris campaigns in Texas
Kamala Harris will attend a private fundraiser after using the week laying out her campaign themes.

Harris, 59, will attend a private fundraiser on Saturday after a series of campaign stops this week in which she laid out the themes that will animate her campaign. 

She sought to contrast her background as a prosecutor with Trump's record as a convicted felon and argued her campaign is about looking to the future, while Trump's wants to take the country into the past.

Her ascension to the top of the ticket has re-energised a campaign that had faltered badly amid Democrats doubts about Biden's chances of defeating Trump, 78, or his ability to continue to govern should he succeed. 

She raised more than $US100 million ($A150 million) in the 36 hours after Biden's departure, according to her campaign.

Trump and Vance, 39, have attempted to tie Harris to what they say is the Biden administration's failure to corral high inflation and stem a surge of migrants at the southern border with Mexico. 

Republicans have also portrayed Harris as more liberal and extreme than Biden.

Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance and Donald Trump
JD Vance and Donald Trump want to link Kamala Harris to concerns about inflation and immigration.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump is set to speak at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville, part of a broader Republican effort to court crypto holders ahead of the November 5 election.

The party has promised lighter regulation for crypto, while Trump recently slammed Democrats' attempts to regulate the sector.

The former president indicated he would like to see expanded bitcoin mining by US firms, even though he called bitcoin a "scam" in 2021.

"It's not a shift in the Republican Party as much as it is a revolution," Republican senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee told Reuters this week at the conference.

Trump will host a fundraiser in Nashville before his remarks at the conference, with tickets ranging from $US60,000 to more than $US800,000 a person. 

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store