Democratic Presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks during the Sigma Gamma Rho’s 60th International Biennial Boule at the George R. Brown Convention Center on July 31, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris has secured enough Democratic Party delegate votes to become the party’s nominee when voting ends on Monday, according to the Democratic National Committee. And Harris is close to naming her running mate.
Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. JD Vance, have spoken to voters across the country this past week as they sharpen their attacks on Harris.
Here’s how the news is developing:
JD Vance to also give remarks in same states as Harris this week
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is scheduled to give remarks in the same states on the same days as Vice President Kamala Harris this week, the Trump-Vance campaign announced, as Harris embarks on a battleground state tour.
Vance is scheduled to speak at noon ET in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The event comes as Harris is set to hold a rally with her yet-to-be-announced running mate Tuesday night in the city.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to deliver remarks in the Detroit suburb of Shelby Township, Michigan, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as Harris also campaigns in those states then.
Then on Thursday, he is set to speak in Raleigh and Oakboro in North Carolina, aligning with Harris’ scheduled visit to the state.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Bon Iver to campaign with Harris in Wisconsin
Bon Iver will join Harris and her running mate on Wednesday in Eau Claire, Wisconsin — where the Grammy-winning indie folk band was founded — for a “special performance” as part of the campaign’s battleground state tour, the Harris campaign announced on Monday.
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow, Will McDuffie and Isabella Murray
Harris still deliberating on VP pick: Source
At this moment, Vice President Harris has not decided on a running mate and is still deliberating, according to a source.
More than 10K people expected at Harris’ Philly rally: Source
More than 10,000 people are expected to attend Harris’ rally Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where she’ll be joined by her new running mate, according to a source familiar with the plans.
That would make this the biggest event yet for the Harris campaign.
Harris is looking to build off her momentum. Pennsylvania kicks off her swing through seven battleground states in five days.
The pace of her campaign is in stark contrast to Trump’s, which has only one rally scheduled this week — in Montana on Friday.
Usha Vance says husband’s ‘childless cat ladies’ comment was a ‘quip’
In her first interview since her husband was named former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Usha Vance sat down with Fox & Friends where she discussed her husband’s “childless cat ladies” comment that has gained attention recently — calling it a “quip.”
“The reality is, JD made a quote – I mean, he made a quip, and he made a quip in service of making a point that he wanted to make that was substantive,” Usha Vance said of the comments her husband made in 2021. “And I just wish sometimes that people would talk about those things and that we would spend a lot less time just sort of going through this three-word phrase or that three-word phrase.”
She continued, “What he was really saying is that it can be really hard to be a parent in this country, and sometimes our policies are designed in a way that make it even harder.”
She added that her husband “would never ever ever want to say something to hurt someone who was trying to have a family who really was struggling with that.”
JD Vance has called the comments “sarcastic.”
“Let’s try to look at the real conversation that he’s trying to have and engage with it and understand for those of us who do have families, for the many of us who want to have families, and for whom it’s really hard,” Usha Vance said on Monday. “What can we do to make it better? What can we do to make it easier to live in 2024?”
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh, Hannah Demissie, Lalee Ibssa and Soorin Kim
Pelosi says she spoke with Biden ahead of his withdrawal ‘asking for a campaign that would win’
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, in an interview with Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopolous on Monday morning, said that she spoke with President Joe Biden ahead of his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race “asking for a campaign that would win.” She also said Biden was “the only person that I spoke to” about Biden possibly withdrawing.
“The only person that I spoke to about this was the president. Other people called me about what their views were about it, and — but I rarely even returned a call, much less initiated one,” Pelosi said.
Later, she added, “I wasn’t asking him to step down. I was asking for a campaign that would win, and I wasn’t seeing that on the horizon.”
Vice President Kamala Harris’ choice for her running mate is a the “most important” decision she has to make as her campaign gets started, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
All of her choices appear to be good, Pelosi added.
“It’s a difficult decision because they are all so great,” she told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America on Monday. “It is the most important decision for her to make. Not just about who can help win, but who can help serve and lead and whose confidence she trusts.”
Harris and to-be-announced running mate to launch seven-state tour Tuesday
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, who is yet to be named, will go on tour, hitting seven battleground states in five days, the Harris campaign said Monday.
The tour will be an effort to “introduce the new Democratic ticket” and “speak directly with voters in their communities and cement the contrast between our ticket and Trump’s,” campaign said.
The tour, which kicks off Tuesday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will feature rallies in cities and stops at college campuses, including HBCUs, union halls, family-owned restaurants and their field offices, the campaign said.
The tour will continue through Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Detroit, Michigan; Durham, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada, the campaign said.
Harris interviewing top VP contenders today at her residence: Source
Vice President Harris is meeting with top running mate candidates Sunday at her residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., according to a source familiar with the matter.
Harris is meeting with at least three leading contenders — Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, according to the source.
The meetings were earlier reported by The New York Times.
Sen. JD Vance says he wears VP pick criticism as a ‘badge of honor’
In a Fox News interview Sunday, Sen. JD Vance responded to criticism of him being picked as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, saying he takes it as a “badge of honor.”
“All I can do is go out there and prosecute the case against Kamala Harris to remind people that things were more prosperous and more peaceful when Donald Trump was president,” Vance said. “Look, I recognize there are a lot of folks even in the GOP establishment and certainly on the far left who don’t like the fact that Donald Trump picked me, I actually take their criticism as a badge of honor.”
Vance also hit back at Democrats who’ve called him “weird,” calling it “a lot of projection.”
“They can call me whatever they want to. The middle school taunts don’t bother me,” he said. “What offends me is what Kamala Harris has done to this country over three and a half years.”
Harris campaign launches ‘Republicans for Harris’ outreach program
Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign announced Sunday that it would be launching a “Republicans for Harris” program aimed at reaching Republican voters who could be convinced to vote for Harris. The program will include digital advertising, phone banking, events and other initiatives, according to the campaign.
The program — and Harris herself — have been endorsed by a number of Republican figures, including former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
“I might not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on everything, but I know that she will fight for our freedom, protect our democracy, and represent America with honor and dignity on the world stage,” Grisham wrote in a statement released by the Harris campaign.
The “Republicans for Harris” program will hold kickoff events starting this week, per the campaign.
(NEW YORK) — A worldwide selloff jolted markets on Monday in the aftermath of a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report that elicited fear of an economic recession.
Japan’s main Nikkei 225 stock index dropped more than 12%, its worst day of trading since 1987. Each of the major U.S. stock indexes plummeted more than 2%.
Nvidia, a chipmaker that had helped catapult market gains so far this year, dropped as much as 14% before recovering some of those losses.
Renewed warnings of an imminent recession arrive after years of doomsday forecasts that stretch back to the staggering rise of inflation three years ago. So far, the U.S. has defied alarm and sustained solid growth, proving many analysts wrong.
Economists who spoke to ABC News disagreed about whether current economic conditions warrant serious concern about a possible recession or foretell resilience of the kind that has followed previous bouts of uncertainty.
Some analysts voiced optimism, pointing to continued economic growth and a tendency for markets to overreact in the face of negative news. Others cautioned of a monthslong labor market cooldown that indicates wider economic weakness and a potential downturn.
“You can see the probability of a recession moving slightly higher, but for me it’s nowhere near the level at which you jump out of the window because the house is burning,” Olu Sonola, the head of U.S. regional economics at Fitch Ratings, told ABC News. “You can still safely take the elevator or the stairs.”
The stock market downswing was set off by a disappointing jobs report on Friday. Employers hired 114,000 workers in July, falling well short of economist expectations of 185,000 jobs. The unemployment rate climbed to 4.3%, the highest level since October 2021.
The unemployment rate has soared this year from 3.7% to 4.3%. That trend has triggered a recession indicator known as the “Sahm Rule,” which says that a rise of 0.5 percentage points in the unemployment rate within a 12-month period typically precedes a recession.
Some economists have doubted whether the trend signals a recession in this case. That’s because the rising unemployment rate owes more to an increase in eligible workers that has expanded the labor pool rather than layoffs that have reduced the number of people with jobs.
The labor market is still growing and the unemployment rate remains at a historically low level.
“I still think we’re in the soft-landing stage,” Stephan Weiler, a professor of economics at Colorado State University and a former Fed research officer, told ABC News, predicting an outcome in which inflation returns to normal and the economy averts a recession.
“Some people expected this recession two years ago or more, and it still hasn’t come about,” Weiler added.
Some economists rebutted that rosy outlook, however. Nancy Lazar, chief global economist at investment firm Piper Sandler, said the uptick in the unemployment rate marks a key piece of evidence indicating a recession will take place before the end of the year.
“It wasn’t just a one-month number,” Lazar said, referring to the jobs report on Friday. “This has been a rising trend.”
The recent labor market cooldown took hold roughly two years after the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in March 2022 as part of an effort to dial back inflation. On average, Lazar said, the economy dips into a recession two-and-a-half years after the Fed begins a series of rate hikes.
“We’ve been expecting a recession to unfold,” Lazar added, acknowledging that Piper Sandler had previously forecasted a recession as early as the end of 2023. The firm had erred in part because it underestimated the staying power of pandemic-era government stimulus, she said.
“We’re now at the highest risk of the economy moving into a recession,” she added.
On Sunday, Goldman Sachs economists raised the probability of a U.S. recession in the next year from 15% to 25%.
The market downturn has triggered calls for a large interest rate cut at the Fed’s next meeting in September. Some investors have voiced an even more urgent request for a rare emergency rate cut as soon as this week.
In theory, interest rate cuts would ease borrowing fees, unleash consumer demand and business investment and help the economy avert a downturn.
Economists, however, said an interest rate cut likely would not help the economy avoid an imminent recession, since rate changes typically affect the economy only after a period of several months.
Pointing to the market drop-off on Monday, economists said investors have a track record of overreacting to emerging trends in the economy. But, experts added, market swings can help bring about a recession anyway.
“Markets always tend to overreact to the upside and overreact to the downside,” said Sonola, adding that market sentiment may in turn weigh on business investment and economic activity. “It can be a self-reinforcing feedback loop.”
(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an attempt by the Republican attorney general of Missouri to delay former President Donald Trump’s sentencing in his criminal hush money case in New York.
The court declined to hear Missouri’s lawsuit against New York.
The brief order was unsigned but indicated that Justices Alito and Thomas would have heard the complaint.
“Missouri’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied, and its motion for preliminary relief or a stay is dismissed as moot,” the order said. “Justice Thomas and Justice Alito would grant the motion for leave to file the bill of complaint but would not grant other relief.”
Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election. He has said he will appeal the decision.
The former president is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18.
Earlier this month, Judge Merchan postponed Trump’s sentencing in the case from the original July 11 sentencing date so he could consider Trump’s request to vacate his conviction based on the Supreme Court recent ruling on presidential immunity.
(WASHINGTON) — Following New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s primary defeat at the hands of George Latimer, another member of “The Squad” is at risk of being ousted: Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri, who is facing a strong challenge from St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell in the Democratic primary on Tuesday.
The race catapulted to national attention in part due to the tremendous amount of outside group spending. The United Democracy Project PAC, the fundraising arm affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent more than $7 million to challenge Bush, who currently represents a district composed of the St. Louis area, and boost Bell’s profile.
This dynamic is reminiscent of Bowman’s race, where he and his supporters point to AIPAC’s enormous cash flow behind his challenger as a key reason he lost his primary in June. United Democracy Project’s spending in Bowman’s race helped make it the most expensive House primary in U.S. history.
Asked for comment for this story, Bush’s campaign pointed to data showing that it is the second-most expensive House race.
AIPAC’s involvement in this primary was precipitated by Bush’s critical stance of Israel in how it carried out its war with Hamas, a posture held by many other progressive lawmakers, including Bowman.
Bush has said that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 — and was supported in calling for a cease-fire by over two dozen local faith and social justice groups, including Jewish organizations, last November.
Bush was condemned by a group of local Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, the St. Louis Jewish Community Center and the St. Louis Rabbinical and Cantorial Association, for her “communication about the recent events in Israel and Gaza,” which they described as “insensitive, incorrect, and fanning the flames of antisemitism.”
Another group of Jewish clergy endorsed Bell in the month leading up to the primary.
Meanwhile, Bell has aggressively campaigned with the St. Louis Jewish community. According to Jewish Insider, Bell has made Jewish outreach a priority in his campaign.
Sam Crystal, the chief of staff of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, which has endorsed Bell, said he believes that this tactic has been successful.
“That he is not just expressing support for the issues that Jewish voters are prioritizing, but taking the time to actually reach out to Jewish voters in the district and to create relationships with the Jewish leaders, has been a big impact on why he’s gained so much support in the district,” he said.
Crystal said he believes that this outreach will help Bell defeat Bush. He estimated that Jews make up 2.8% of the district and said that “in close races, those kinds of margins can make the difference, and the Jewish vote will be a part of the winning coalition that delivers victory for Wesley Bell.”
Professor Dan Butler, director of Undergraduate Studies in Political Science at the Washington University in St. Louis, stressed to ABC News that Bowman and Bush’s races have a great deal of differences, especially when it comes to the impact of the Israel-Hamas war.
“Clearly the war in Gaza is what is behind the donor class here. That’s the reason Bush is being challenged,” said Butler. “But you don’t really see it discussed, in part because I just don’t think either candidate has much to gain from it.”
Butler said he finds that the conflict here is not between centrism and progressivism, as in New York’s primary race, but rather a clash between two progressives “trying to signal who’s the right member of the Democratic team to send to Washington.”
Even still, Bell’s campaign is not without problems of its own.
Bell’s decision to run for this seat, and his approach to doing so, have garnered some controversy. In October of last year, he ended a bid for Senate to challenge Bush. In a statement at the time, Devon Moody, Bush’s campaign manager, said it was “disheartening that Prosecuting Attorney Bell has decided to abandon his U.S. Senate campaign to become Missouri’s first Black senator after less than five months, and has instead decided to target Missouri’s first Black congresswoman.”
And according to Drop Site News, four months before Bell challenged Bush, he privately assured her that he would not drop his Senate bid to face her. “I’m telling you on my word: I am not running against you. That is not happening,” he said on the leaked audio.
Moreover, Bell’s progressive bona fides have been challenged. Prosecutor Organizing Table, a watchdog organization formed by several racial justice organizations, accused Bell of not matching his promises of being a progressive prosecutor.
Bell has also received criticism for managing Mark Byrne’s campaign for the same seat in 2006. Byrne, who Bell’s campaign described as a “longtime friend” despite “differences in political affiliations and positions on many issues,” ran as a conservative Republican. Byrne’s website said that he intended to “protect the rights of the unborn” and that there is “no greater job for elected representatives than to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
Bell campaign spokesman, Anjan Mukherjee told ABC News that Bell has the “momentum and enthusiasm to win this election, and looks forward to taking his progressive track record to Congress.”
Sarah Arkebaur, co-chair of the St. Louis Democratic Socialists of America electoral working group, said that with “who is donating to his campaign, as well as his past work for Republican candidates,” Bell “does not live up to [the] moniker” of a progressive.
Arkebaur touted Bush’s work in Congress.
“She is non-stop fighting for policies that are crucial for working people,” she said. “And we know, from what we’ve talked to — people at the doors, doing door-to-door canvassing, on the phones doing phone banks — that these policies are popular with voters.”
Usamah Andrabi, a spokesperson for Justice Democrats, offered a similar message.
“This race is about reelecting a champion for abortion rights, democracy and everyday people — that has the broad support of local electeds, unions and every reproductive rights group against the same Republican megadonors banning abortion in Missouri and trying to elect Donald Trump in November,” he said.
If Bush is unable to defend her seat, Butler, the professor, says her loss will send a clear message.
“If Bush loses, it will send a message to the other Democratic incumbents to be much more careful about criticizing Israel,” said Butler.
ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The American Red Cross said Monday that it is experiencing an emergency blood shortage, and extreme heat may be partly to blame.
In a press release, the organization said its national blood inventory fell by more than 25% since July 1.
Rolling heat waves and record temperatures have impacted more than 100 drives in the last month in every state where the Red Cross collects blood. This has led to drives ending early or being canceled and fewer people donating and has contributed to a shortfall of more than 19,000 donations in July, based on projected hospital need, according to the Red Cross.
This is in addition to other factors that typically limit blood donations during the summer, such as travel and seasonal activities, the group said.
The Red Cross also suspects that August also will threaten replenishment of the available blood supply due to the start of peak Atlantic hurricane season, which often leads to flooding and power outages that can cancel blood drives and otherwise lead to low donor turnout.
The Red Cross said it supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood donations.
“When we start to have a shortfall in donations that has a really significant impact,” Dr. Baia Lasky, division chief medical officer for the Red Cross, told ABC News. ” This time of year is challenging for us. The demand for blood is constant throughout the year whether its trauma patients, cancer patients.”
Donors with Type O blood are the most needed right now, according to the Red Cross, for two reasons. Type O is the most common blood type, meaning that most people in need of blood will need type O blood.
Secondly, those with an O negative blood type are so-called “universal donors,” meaning their donations can be used in transfusions for any patient with any blood type.
Because the supply of O blood is currently very low, the Red Cross said it had had to reduce distributions of that type to hospitals.
“We will welcome anyone of any blood type, but O negative is considered universal and O positive is nearly universal,” Lasky said. “It’s the most transfused blood type and for patients with unknown blood type for emergency transfusion.”
She also said that the Red Cross is looking for platelet donations, which have a shelf life of five days, and are often critical for trauma and cancer patients.
This is not the first time the American Red Cross has warned of the risk of a blood supply shortage. Earlier this year, the organization it was seeing the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years, something it is still experiencing.
According to the Red Cross, only 3% of age-eligible people, or about 6.8 million Americans, donate blood every year.
In an attempt to increase donations, the Red Cross is offering anyone who donates blood by August 31 a $20 Amazon gift card by email.
“As you go about your summer plans, remember there are those who are in hospitals,” Lasky said. “Let’s save lives and we really need people to come out and donate.”
(WASHINGTON) — As the Middle East braces for potential escalation of hostilities, diplomats at the State Department are trying to rally allies and partners to pressure Tehran into containing the scope of its retaliation against Israel that U.S. officials now view as inevitable.
During a call with G7 foreign ministers on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterparts that a response from Iran and Hezbollah to the recent assassinations of a high-ranking official from the Lebanese militant group and Hamas’ top political leader could begin in the next 24 to 48 hours, according to two officials familiar with the matter.
However, they added that the U.S. doesn’t have a clear picture of Iran’s plan and that an attack could happen outside that window, as well.
Fouad Shukr, a Hezbollah commander, and Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas political leader, were killed last week in separate incidents. Israel took responsibility for the strike that killed Shukr but has not said if it was also behind the attack that killed Haniyeh in Tehran, which Iran has blamed on Israel.
Officials said the driving agenda behind the call on Sunday, which was organized at the request of the U.S., was to encourage the G7 countries to use any tactic available to them to push Iran and Hezbollah to limit the size of any strike — minimizing the possibility of overwhelming Israel’s aerial defense networks and inflicting mass damage that could ignite an all-out regional war.
Blinken has been working the phones Monday, as well, calling counterparts in the Middle East with a similar message — building off of President Joe Biden’s call with King Abdullah II of Jordan, one official said.
In the wake of Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile strike on Israel last April, officials assessed that Iran showed an interest in toeing the line — launching a massive salvo directly at Israel that could have caused major escalation if defenses failed, but also previewing details of its attack plan and later declaring the issue was “closed” without inflicting large-scale damage or loss of life.
The U.S. is also trying to bring together a similar coalition to back Israel as it did ahead of Iran’s April attack, but American diplomats are facing a steeper hurdle this time because many international partners see some of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s actions — particularly the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran — as unnecessarily provocative, according to the two officials familiar with the matter.
Blinken also stressed on the call with the G7 that countries would need to encourage restraint from Israel following action from Iran and Hezbollah, and to continue working toward a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza, according to the officials.
(MILWAUKEE, Wis.) — People gathered outside the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office on Monday to demand charges be filed against four hotel security guards involved in the death of a Black man that was ruled a homicide.
“D.A. Chisholm, all we want you to do is your job, that’s all we want,” Naisha Mitchell, D’Vontaye Mitchell’s sister, said during the morning rally.
“You told us you were waiting on the autopsy results before you made your next move. Those results came back last week. In my opinion, you should have been at these people’s houses the same day they came out,” she continued.
The demands come days after the Milwaukee County medical examiner ruled Mitchell’s death was a homicide, the result of restraint asphyxia and toxic effects of cocaine and methamphetamine.
“The medical examiner’s report confirms the obvious here, which was that, you know, D’Vontaye Mitchell was murdered outside of the Hyatt Hotel in Milwaukee by Aimbridge Hospitality employees,” William Sulton, one of the attorneys representing Mitchell’s family, told ABC News.
On Friday, Sulton released newly obtained surveillance video that showed the moments leading up to Mitchell’s death.
“It broke my heart. I didn’t know what to feel. I didn’t know how to feel. If it broke something inside of me because it was so brutal and just what they did to him. It’s unbelievable,” DeAsia Harmon, Mitchell’s wife, told ABC News in an interview after seeing the surveillance videos.
On June 30, Mitchell, 43, showed up to the Milwaukee Hyatt Regency hotel acting frantically, running into the hotel’s gift shop and women’s bathroom, surveillance video showed. Mitchell’s family has said he was having a mental health episode.
The newly released surveillance video shows one security guard dragging Mitchell through the lobby doors before another security guard joins him and starts punching Mitchell while he is still on the ground. A hotel employee then grabs a broom and starts striking Mitchell. The security guards continue to punch Mitchell before he is pinned to the ground for more than 8 minutes, the video, reviewed by ABC News, shows.
“What these videos demonstrate is that he was brutally beaten to death,” Sulton said, adding Mitchell’s family expects the District Attorney’s Office will now charge the security guards.
“We were fortunate in this case to have onlookers who had cell phone video footage, which allowed us to prove that Mr. Mitchell was murdered,” Sulton said, adding that “there are still items that need to be investigated. There’s still evidence that needs to be collected.”
On July 12, the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) released a statement saying they had initiated a death investigation the day of the incident, referring felony murder charges with the underlying charge of battery to the District Attorney’s Office on July 5. MPD said the investigation was ongoing and declined further comment.
Aimbridge Hospitality, the hotel management firm that employed the security guards, told ABC News in a new statement they had terminated the guards after reviewing their actions, which were in violation of their policies and procedures. The security guards involved in the incident have not been identified.
“We are continuing to do everything we can to support law enforcement with their ongoing investigation of this tragedy, and will continue our own investigation,” Aimbridge Hospitality said in the statement
Harmon, Mitchell’s wife, said she was devastated to learn the circumstances of her husband’s death. “I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to feel. I just knew that a part of me was going. A part of me was gone. My daughter just lost her father. And it’s still not real to me,” Harmon said.
“He was a gentle giant. He was loving and caring, and he was smart and funny and very talented. He was a wonderful father, wonderful husband, great friend, brother, cousin, son, all across the board. Everybody who’s ever come in contact with him loved him,” Harmon said.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
“I want the law to actually mean something. I want his life to mean something. It meant something to me. It meant something to my daughter. It meant something to his entire family. So for me, I want everyone involved, everyone involved to go to jail,” Harmon said.
(TAMPA, Fla.) — Veteran sailor Nathan Thomas said he and a friend survived a harrowing close encounter with Hurricane Debby off the Gulf Coast of Florida on Sunday after they lost the main sail of a sailboat he had just purchased and were suddenly adrift in 20-foot-plus waves.
The 69-year-old Thomas described the experience to ABC News on Monday as “like being in a washing machine” as he and his sailing partner, Adrian, waited for nearly three hours to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after they made a desperate SOS call.
“I knew that if the Coast Guard didn’t get to us, we had less than a 50% chance of surviving. I knew that,” Thomas said in a telephone interview.
Thomas said he had just purchased the 34-foot sailboat dubbed the “SV Voyager” for $5,000 and picked it up in Marathon, Florida, on Wednesday. He said he was sailing it back to the Tampa area where he lives and thought he could make it home ahead of Debby.
“The storm came across faster than I anticipated. I knew it was there, but I thought I could beat it,” Thomas said. “I played the cards and guess what? I gamble wrong. I lost that hand.”
He said his friend, a retired Merchant Marine, was operating the 40-year-old sailboat, which Thomas described as a racing-style boat that “pivots on a dime.” He said his friend, who was not used to operating such a vessel, overcompensated as he stirred it, causing a steel cable to suddenly snap. The main sail was then rendered useless, causing the men to be set adrift in 20-foot-plus seas.
“You can’t panic. That’s the last thing you can do,” Thomas said. “If s— goes wrong, maintain it. Be in control. Even though it goes wrong and stuff, you still have to maintain what’s going on. The minute you panic, it’s over for you.”
Thomas said when they lost their sail at about 8 a.m. Sunday, he and Adrian were in the Gulf of Mexico about 35 miles northwest of Clearwater, Florida, and 35 miles southwest of Tarpan Springs, where they were headed. At the time, Debby was a tropical storm picking up speed as it approached the Florida Panhandle area.
U.S. Coast Guard officials said they had already launched rescue aircraft by the time Thomas was able to reach them on his radio on Sunday.
A friend of Thomas’ contacted the Coast Guard station at St. Petersburg around 5 p.m. on Saturday to report the boaters had missed their check-in while sailing up from the Florida Keys to Tarpan Springs.
“Some of the most important factors in any rescue case is accurate information and safety equipment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, a search-and-rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard District Seven in Florida. “We received an updated satellite position from the boaters’ friend, which led us to them being successfully located.”
The Coast Guard confirmed to ABC News Monday that the two stranded boaters were found adrift in 15- to-20-foot seas and 50-knot, or about 60 mph, winds.
While visibility at the time was only about a half-mile, a fixed-wing rescue aircraft sent to search for the men was able to find them, according to the Coast Guard. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter arrived and completed the rescue.
“The fixed-wing found us and circled us until the helicopter snatched us out of the water,” Thomas said.
As his friend was being hoisted to safety, Thomas said he went below deck and opened the seacock, or a valve on the hull of the vessel, to sink the boat, adding that it had diesel tanks and oil aboard, as well as about $10,000 worth of electronic equipment, including sonar. He said he sank the boat to prevent it from running aground in a protected nature preserve.
“I scuttled my own boat is what I did,” Thomas said. “I’m not going to have my boat run ashore in some protected area.”
Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds around 7 a.m. Monday in Florida’s Big Bend region.
“I never thought I would ever have to be rescued,” said Thomas, who has been sailing since he was 17 years old. “When I was rescued, I told the Coast Guard, ‘I never thought I’d be rescued by you guys. I’ve been through too many storms, and this storm actually got me.'”
Thomas said the ordeal has not dampened his love for the sea.
“I’m getting another boat, trust me,” Thomas said.
(NEW YORK) — Hurricane Debby is roaring across Florida as a Category 1 hurricane after making landfall Monday morning.
A hurricane warning was issued for Florida’s Big Bend area, from near Cedar Key to Apalachicola.
Here’s how the news is developing:
More than 253,000 customers without power in Florida
More than 253,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.
Latest forecast
Debby is moving inland across north Florida Monday afternoon after dumping more than 1 foot of rain in the state.
Tornadoes are possible Monday afternoon in Florida, including in Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville, as well as in the coastal cities of Savannah, Georgia, and Beaufort, South Carolina.
The biggest concern this week is flash flooding from the widespread, relentless rain. A flash flood emergency remains in effect in Suwannee County, Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where 10 to 15 inches of rain has fallen so far.
Debby will slowly churn into southeastern Georgia throughout Monday afternoon and evening. Conditions will deteriorate in Savannah, Georgia, throughout the day.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
4 killed including 2 kids
At least four people have been killed from Debby, authorities said.
13-year-old boy was killed when a tree fell on a mobile home Monday morning in Levy County, Florida, which encompasses Cedar Key, according to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.”
In Hillsborough County, Florida, which encompasses Tampa, a driver of a semi was killed when the truck went into a canal off Interstate 275 Monday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies recovered the semi and found the driver dead inside the cab, authorities said.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told ABC News Live. “We really ask everyone, one, to be aware of the weather situations in your area, and then heed the warnings. Especially the high wind and the water.”
In Dixie County, Florida, a driver “lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway” on Sunday night, crashing into the center median guardrail and then overturning the car, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The driver, a 38-year-old woman, and a passenger, a 12-year-old boy, were killed, authorities said.
Another passenger, a 14-year-old boy, was seriously injured, the highway patrol said.
Flash flood emergency issued in Suwannee County, Florida
A flash flood emergency has been issued in Suwannee County in north Florida, northwest of Gainesville, where officials are reporting that water is entering structures.
Ten to 15 inches of rain has inundated the county so far and another 3 to 6 inches of rain is expected.
-ABC News’ Dan Peck
More than 1,600 flights canceled
More than 1,600 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.
American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.
American Airlines said it canceled operations at airports in Gainesville, Sarasota and Tallahassee until noon on Monday.
Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.
Biden briefed on storm
President Joe Biden was briefed Monday morning on the administration’s ongoing response to Debby, according to a White House official.
On Saturday, Biden approved Florida’s request for an emergency declaration and deployed rescue personnel, meals and water, the official said.
The Biden administration is in touch with officials from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed staff to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina as the storm moves north, the official said.
More than 300,000 customers without power in Florida
More than 300,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.
More than 1,200 flights canceled
More than 1,200 flights have been canceled within, into or out of the U.S. on Monday, and that number is expected to continue to climb.
American Airlines is seeing the biggest impacts because of its hubs in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sunday was one of the worst air travel days of the year with more than 2,400 cancellations.
Storm surge, flooding major threats
Storm surge and flooding are major threats to Florida as Hurricane Debby slams the state, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Monday.
Significant flooding has already impacted the Bradenton and Sarasota County area up to North Florida, he said.
More than 250,000 customers without power in Florida
More than 250,000 customers are without power in Florida Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.
Debby makes landfall in Florida
Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, on Monday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.
More than 135,000 customers without power in Florida, tracker says
More than 135,000 customers were without power in Florida early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks energy outages.
Debby approaches landfall with 80 mph winds
Hurricane Debby is “very near” landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. ET.
“Expected to bring life-threatening storm surge in portions of Florida and major flooding in the southeastern United States,” the center said in an update.
The Category 1 storm had maximum sustained winds of an about 80 mph as it approached Big Bend, a northern area near the Panhandle, the center said.
Debby strengthens, with maximum sustained winds up to 80 mph
Hurricane Debby continued to strengthen, with maximum sustained winds rising to 80 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.
More than 10 inches of rain fell on the west coast of Florida, around the Tampa Bay area, where water rescues have been on going near Clearwater. Significant flooding also has been reported in Fort Myers area.
Storm surge has been rising quickly now along the Big Bend area in Florida, from Cedar Key to Keaton Beach, where up to 10 feet of Gulf water could inundate the coastline. The storm is forecast to make landfall in that area on Monday morning.
Coast Guard rescues two adrift in sailboat off Florida coast
Two people were rescued Sunday from a boat that was adrift in about 20-foot seas off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The boaters were airlifted from their 34-foot sailboat after the vessel lost its sail about 73 miles off shore, the guard said.
The sailboat had been on course for Tarpon Springs from Key West, officials said. A friend of the boaters contacted the Coast Guard at about 5 p.m. Saturday, telling officials they had missed their check-in.
“We received an updated satellite position from the boaters’ friend, which led to them being successfully located,” Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement.
The boaters were rescued by a crew on an Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, the Coast Guard said. They had been adrift in seas that were between 15 and 20 feet, with wind speeds at about 50 knots. Visibility was low.
The names of the people on the boat were not released.
Debby strengthens into a hurricane
The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Tropical Storm Debby to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph.
The forecast is still on track for more strengthening overnight as Debby feeds off the warm water in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures running 3 to 5 degrees above average are providing plenty of fuel for this storm to intensify before landfall, which will happen around 7 a.m. ET along the Big Bend region of Florida.
Tropical Storm Debby nearing hurricane strength at 70 mph
While still a tropical storm, Debby is nearing hurricane strength, producing maximum sustained wind speeds up to 70 mph.
Debby will continue to intensify rapidly overnight as it travels northward over the Gulf’s warm waters. It is forecast to become a hurricane tonight. It is expected to strengthen to at least a strong Category 1 hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region Monday morning (around 7 a.m. ET), producing sustained wind speeds near 85 mph and wind gusts reaching over 100 mph possible.
Located about 90 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, the storm continues to impact the Florida Gulf Coast with heavy rainfall, storm surge, powerful winds and even spin-up tornadoes.
A reported wind gust of 56 mph was reported in St. Petersburg, with two tornadoes reported in central Florida.
A 60-mph wind gust was also reported near Sarasota, Florida.
Numerous reports of flooding from heavy rainfall and surges have also been submitted up Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The Tornado Watch covering much of northern and central Florida and southern Georgia has been extended until 6 a.m. ET on Monday.
Once Debby moves over land, it will weaken. However, the lack of a steering current will cause the storm to slow down considerably. While its exact track remains questionable, model guidance suggests the storm will drift over the Atlantic or Southeast coastline late Monday night into Tuesday before meandering back over Georgia and the Carolinas. Interaction with the Atlantic could reenergize Debby, but that will greatly depend on the storm’s path.
Even though Debby’s track and timing remain uncertain later this week, there is high confidence that it will bring historic rainfall and significant flooding across portions of the Southeast.
Rainfall ranging between 6 to 12 inches is possible from Florida’s Big Bend region through southeastern Georgia and into the Carolinas. Parts of coastal Georgia and South Carolina will be in the bullseye for the heaviest rainfall. There, widespread totals between 10 to 20 inches are possible, with some places even seeing up to 30 inches locally. Because of this, significant urban and river flooding is anticipated.
Rainfall aside, hurricane and tropical storm force winds will continue to whip across Florida and will likely intensify Sunday night into Monday as the storm moves closer to the coast — with areas just south and east of the storm’s eyewall seeing the strongest gusts early Monday morning.
Storm surge will also worsen along Florida’s northern and central Gulf coast tonight into Monday morning, with the highest surge expected between Suwannee River and Ochlockonee River (6 to 10 feet).
All tropical alerts remain unchanged from the last update.
Tropical Storm Debby on track to become a hurricane overnight
As of 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, Tropical Storm Debby still has winds of 65 mph and is forecast to undergo rapid intensification into a hurricane overnight, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Debby is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday morning around 7 a.m.
Rain is expected to be the most impactful element from this storm, affecting a wide area over an extended period of time.
“Across portions of southeast Georgia and South Carolina, 10 to 20 inches of rainfall, with local amounts to 30 inches, are expected through Friday morning,” the National Hurricane Center said. “This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding.”
Evacuations ordered in Alachua County, Florida, as Debby set to make landfall
An evacuation order was issued Sunday for residents of Alachua County, Florida, residing in mobile homes, manufactured homes and recreational vehicles ahead of the arrival of Debby, which is forecast to be a hurricane when it makes landfall on Monday.
People living in areas close to rivers and lakes, and low-lying areas that tend to flood in Alachua County are also encouraged to evacuate, according to a statement issued by county officials.
Gainesville is the largest city in Alachua County.
“We encourage residents affected to find alternative housing with friends, family or short-term rentals,” according to the county’s statement.
Alachua County is opening three shelters for residents in need.
Tornado watch issued as Debby runs parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast
A tornado watch was issued Sunday afternoon by the National Weather Service as Tropical Storm Debbie moved northward in the Gulf of Mexico parallel to Florida’s Gulf Coast.
At 2 p.m. Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Debby was still a tropical storm with winds of 65 mph and forecasted to bring severe weather, including heavy rain, to coastal communities Sunday afternoon.
A tornado watch is in effect for much of Florida through Sunday evening.
Debby is expected to become a hurricane Sunday evening and will likely make landfall sometime between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Panhandle.
Once Debby makes landfall, the storm is expected to slow down and essentially stall over the Southeast, dropping potentially historic amounts of rainfall as it moves into Georgia and South Carolina.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from the Ochlockonee River southwest of Tallahassee to the Suwannee River northwest of Gainesville.
More than 1,600 flights canceled due to Debby and Northeast thunderstorms
Tropical Storm Debby and thunderstorms in the Northeast were causing airlines to cancel or delay flights on Sunday.
American Airlines said it canceled 601 flights, or about 16% of its flights, on Sunday, the most of any airline.
Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to make landfall around the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.
Also causing delays and cancellations were severe thunderstorms moving up the East Coast. Parts of the mid-Atlantic states are under a severe thunderstorm watch until 9 p.m. ET Sunday, including the cities of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City.
The most flights canceled on Sunday were at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where 214 flights were canceled and another 172 were delayed, according to FlightAware.
In New York City, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy international airports reported a combined 363 flights canceled and 258 delayed on Sunday.
Miami International Airport reported 209 canceled flights and 151 delayed fights. Airports in Orlando, Tampa, Philadelphia, Newark, Washington, D.C., and Dallas-Fort Worth all reported more than 100 flight cancellations on Sunday.
Ten million people under tropical storm alert on Florida’s Gulf Coast
About 10 million people along Florida’s west coast and up through Georgia and South and North Carolina were under a tropical storm alert Sunday as Debby took aim at the area and is forecast to make landfall in the Panhandle region on Monday.
Debby, now a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa, is expected to make landfall sometime between 7 and 8 a.m. in Big Bend on the Florida Panhandle as a Category 1 hurricane, state emergency officials said.
Debby is expected to create a storm surge of 4 to 7 feet in Cedar Key and Crystal River on the Florida west coast and a 2- to 5-foot storm surge farther south in Tampa and Sarasota.
The storm is forecast to move into the cities of Tallahassee and Jacksonville, bringing up to 20 inches of rain to some parts, before causing potential flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
National Guard put on alert for search and rescue: DeSantis
Members of the Florida National Guard have been advised to be prepared to conduct search-and-rescue missions once Tropical Storm Debby makes landfall on Monday, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Widespread flooding is expected for the Florida Panhandle region, particularly in the Big Bend area where Debby is expected to make landfall Monday morning as a category 1 hurricane, DeSantis said during a news conference Sunday morning.
DeSantis said the Florida National Guard and the state’s Emergency Response Team are prepared to conduct search-and-rescue and provide humanitarian assistance.
“The Florida National Guard is standing by with 3,000 service members ready to assist the state Emergency Response Team, which includes search-and-rescue, route clearance, commodity distribution and protection of critical infrastructure,” DeSantis said.
The governor said at least 12 swift boat crews and flat-bottom jon boat crews are also standing by to help with rescues.
He said that more than 30,000 bottles of water, more than 160,000 meals and nearly 14,000 tarps have been pre-staged in parts of Florida that are expected to be hit hard by the storm.
DeSantis said Florida utility companies have notified up to 17,000 linemen to be ready to spring into action once it is safe to repair any damage.
Flooding forecast as Debby expected to bring up to 20 inches of rain
Florida residents in the Big Bend region of the Panhandle were warned Sunday that Debby is going to bring “catastrophic rain to the area” that will cause flooding and power outages.
Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said during a news conference on Sunday that once the Debby makes landfall as a possible Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, winds will subside quickly, but the slow-moving storm will produce an abundance of rain.
“We’re going to be in a catastrophic rain situation where we have situations in Florida that will receive 15, maybe as high as 20 inches of rain,” Guthrie said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told residents who are in the path of the storm to expect widespread power outages.
“It’s possible that you could have serious intensification between now and landfall. It could get up to 85, 90 and 95 mph sustained winds. That is absolutely possible, particularly in parts of the state like here in Tallahassee. There’s going to be a lot of trees that are going to fall down and you’re going to have debris. You are going to have power interruptions,” the governor said.
Gov. DeSantis advises residents to make final preparations for Debby
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advised residents of the state’s Panhandle region on Sunday that they should be finalizing preparations for when Tropical Storm Debby makes its anticipated landfall Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane.
“Now this is a storm that is potentially dangerous. Residents should be finalizing all of their preparations now,” DeSantis said during a news conference at the state’s Emergency Operation Center in Tallahassee.
DeSantis said Tropical Storm Debby was in the Gulf of Mexico about 190 miles southwest of Tampa as of Sunday morning with sustained winds of about 50 mph.
“But those are expected to increase,” DeSantis said. “Tropical Storm Debby is likely to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida.”
He said the storm was on a similar track taken by Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Idalia made landfall in Big Bend on Aug. 30, 2023, as a Category 3 hurricane and caused a devastating storm surge of 7 to 12 feet across the coastal Big Bend region in Levy, Dixie and Taylor counties.
“This storm is a similar track,” DeSantis said. “It may be a tick to the west of that. It very well may have greater impacts here in the Tallahassee region than Hurricane Idalia did. Once it crosses landfall and enters the Florida Panhandle/Big Bend Region, wherever it does, it’s going to move very slowly across northern Florida and southeast Georgia.”
(WASHINGTON) — The ethnicity of Vice President Kamala Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, has begun a conversation about how race fits into her political identity as she runs for president on the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket.
Former President Donald Trump recently falsely asserted that Harris has not identified as both Black and Indian in an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in Chicago.
“I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black and now, she wants to be known as Black. So, I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” Trump said during the NABJ interview.
He went on to say that “she was Indian all the way, and then all of a sudden she made a turn, and she went — she became a Black person.”
Harris, whose first name is Sanskrit for “lotus,” has always identified as both Indian and Black and has long embraced both cultures. She visited India regularly growing up, went to a historically Black university, was President of the Black Law Students Association and was a member of both the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus.
Harris’ identity is forcing the nation to talk about intersectionality and the nuances of race and ethnicity that have often been left ignored, several historians told ABC News.
“Look at my own life, where a daughter of a South Asian mother and a Jamaican father concluded her own interfaith wedding with her husband breaking a glass and everyone yelling, ‘Mazel tov,'” Harris said of her life in a March 2017 speech.
If people are placed into a neat, singular box, experts say, preconceived notions of a culture or group of people make them appear easier to understand.
Ji-Yeon Yuh, an author and professor of history at Northwestern University, says that the stereotype about mixed-race people portrayed them as “being duplicitous and deceitful because you don’t know who they are.”
“You’re more than one thing. Who are you? You could be this one minute and that the other minute, and we’ll never know who you are,” said Yuh, who believes Trump was trying to tap into the longstanding fear of the complex.
Race has operated in America as a way to discriminate, “a tool of oppression and a tool of upholding white supremacy,” according to Andrene Z. Wright, a postdoctoral fellow and incoming associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She is reminded of the one-drop rule — a legal principle of racial classification in 20th-century America — which asserted that if any person in their ancestry is Black, they were legally considered Black. Oftentimes, Wright said, they were discriminated against as such.
“Racial categories were constructed as a means of control to justify why some groups are treated differently than others,” Wright said.
But for Harris, it’s impossible to be placed in one box — Harris has said that her Indian mother intentionally raised her and her sister knowing how they would be treated as Black girls, while also celebrating both cultures in their daily lives. She told the Los Angeles Times in an interview that she was raised going to both a Hindu temple and the Black church.
She is representative of the increased racial intersectionality seen across the U.S.; more than 33 million Americans are mixed-race, according to the U.S. Census.
“Kamala Harris represents — demographically — our current reality: mixed-race individuals, multiracial families, multiracial communities, multiracial friendship groups, multiracial workplaces. That is our current reality,” said Yuh.
Intersectionality — as defined by historians — reflects on how the different parts of someone’s identities are inextricable from each other and therefore impact one another and make up one’s collective experiences.
Jennifer Ho, a professor of ethnic studies at University of Colorado Boulder, argues Harris’ intersectionality could play a role in how she reaches out to voters, drawing from a multitude of identities to connect with each demographic: “She knows what it’s like to bump her head against that glass ceiling all the time, right?”
As much as it could help her, Wright argues it could also be a source of tension and scrutiny.
She’s already been subject to criticism centered on her race from some Republican figures, who accused her of becoming a popular Democratic presidential hopeful because of her race and not because of her accomplishments or experience.
“It’s important for us to notice some of the things that people are saying about Kamala and how racism, sexism, ageism could play a role in what she’s experiencing on this campaign trail,” said Wright.
ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soorin Kim and Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report.
