Harris, Trump trade barbs over campaign

PITTSFIELD, Massachusetts/ST.CLOUD, Minnesota — US Vice-President Kamala Harris cast herself as the "underdog" in the presidential race and called her Republican opponent Donald Trump "weird", while Trump asserted that Harris would "destroy the country" as the rivals exchanged barbs from afar on Saturday.

The dueling appearances capped a whirlwind week that saw Harris ascend to the top of the Democratic ticket after President Joe Biden, 81, dropped his reelection bid under mounting pressure from his fellow Democrats.

With the election just 100 days away, a series of polls indicate that Harris' entry erased the lead Trump had enjoyed over Biden in a matter of days, Reuters reported.

Harris, speaking at a private fundraiser headlined by singer-songwriter James Taylor in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, said much of the rhetoric coming from Trump and his running mate, US Senator JD Vance, was "just plain weird".

The Harris campaign called Trump "old and quite weird" following his appearance on Fox News on Thursday.

As she did during a blitz of campaign stops last week, Harris, 59, again contrasted her background as a prosecutor with Trump's record as a convicted felon and said her bid was about the future, while Trump, 78, wanted to return the country to a "dark past".

Hours later, Trump unleashed a barrage of hyperbolic attacks at a rally in St. Cloud, Minnesota, asserting that Harris would "destroy the country" and criticizing her on issues ranging from public safety to immigration.

"If a crazy liberal like Kamala Harris gets in, the American dream is dead," Trump said, adding that Harris is "even worse" than Biden.

"I want to be nice. They all say, 'I think he's changed,'" Trump said. "No, I haven't changed."

The former president's event at an 8,000-seat ice hockey arena complied with the US Secret Service's recommendation that he avoid large outdoor events following the assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally.

Trump said on Saturday on his Truth Social site that he would continue to hold outdoor rallies and that the Secret Service had "agreed to substantially step up their operation" to protect him.

Harris' campaign has raised $200 million since she emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee, The Associated Press reported.

Agencies Via Xinhua