Harris isn’t backing away from Biden’s democracy focus. But she’s putting her own spin on it

CHICAGO — Before dropping his bid for reelection, President Joe Biden framed voters’ choice in November in dark and ominous terms, painting Republican nominee Donald Trump as a menace to American democracy and questioning whether the country could survive if he won. The Democratic Party’s new nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, isn’t exactly shrinking from that message, warning in her Thursday night acceptance speech of “extremely serious” consequences of Trump returning to the White House. The convention dedicated a day’s theme to “fighting for our freedoms,” with special guest Oprah Winfrey suggesting those working to preserve reproductive rights are “the new freedom fighters.” Harris drove the point home over and over as she summarized her promises to American voters. In his Monday convention speech, he said this election’s results will determine “whether democracy and freedom will prevail.” What to know about the 2024 Election Today’s news: Follow live updates Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. As the race enters its final months, Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher said Republicans are likely to focus on “darkness and danger, and we’re going to be invaded on the border, and you can’t afford groceries.” Harris, meanwhile, wants voters to see the stakes of the election in terms of “the future and freedoms and not going backwards,” he said, adding that it taps into American ideals of optimism that often carry the day in elections.