Senator Ted Cruz is urging his fellow Republicans to take Kamala Harris’s presidential bid seriously as she enters the race for the White House. On his podcast, the Texas Republican highlighted Harris’s impressive fundraising capabilities, noting that she raised over $80 million within the first 24 hours of her campaign launch. Cruz cautioned against the sense of overconfidence he perceives among GOP members, emphasizing that the real time to celebrate will be in November, not now.
Cruz’s warning comes amid a heated political climate, with former President Donald Trump launching his own series of attacks on Harris. At his first rally since President Joe Biden’s exit from the race, Trump labeled Harris a “radical left lunatic” and criticized her stance on abortion rights, accusing her of wanting to “execute” babies. Trump also claimed that Harris allowed 20 million illegal immigrants into the country during Biden’s tenure and covered up Biden’s “mental unfitness” over the past three and a half years. The White House has denied these allegations.
The emerging polls reflect a tight race between Harris and Trump. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after Biden announced he would not seek reelection shows Harris leading Trump 44% to 42%, which is within the margin of error of 3 percentage points. Meanwhile, an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll indicates Trump leads Harris by one point, also within the margin of error.
Senator Cruz expressed his concerns about Republican complacency, urging the party to stay focused and not underestimate Harris. “There’s a sense at the Republican convention that we’ve got the election in the bag,” Cruz said. “But the time to celebrate is in November, not now.”
As Harris ramps up her campaign efforts, both parties are gearing up for what promises to be an intensely competitive election. The close polling figures suggest that every vote will be crucial in determining the next occupant of the White House.
