Bree-Anna Burick Aug 19, 2024 7 min read

Economy Leading Focus for Presidential Candidates on the Campaign Trail

Credit: Associated Press

Now that the dust has settled from the decision of President Joe Biden to pull out of the election and turn the reins over to Vice President Kamala Harris, both political parties are zeroing in on the specifics of their planned agendas.

Both former President Donald Trump and Harris spent the week unveiling their strategies for their country should they win the election. Here is a look at the biggest political headlines of the week.

Harris Releases Economic Strategy Focused on Middle Class Families

In what is the most significant look at the economic agenda for the Democratic Party thus far, Harris unveiled her agenda aimed at cutting taxes for over 100 million Americans classified as middle-class or lower-income. The vice president's economic platform also includes policies designed to make housing, groceries, and health care more affordable.

Harris released the details of her plan during a speech in battleground state North Carolina. The proposals generally are an extension of Biden's policies, extending some of the temporary regulations put in place by Democrats when the party was in control of Congress early in Biden's term.

The proposed plan would also restore the expansion of the child tax credit, taking it up as much as $3,600, an increase from $2,000. Harris also proposes a new child tax credit totaling up to $6,000 for middle-class and lower-income parents during the first year of an infant's life. The credit is designed to provide financial assistance for expenses such as diapers and car seats.

It should be noted that all of these policies would require approval by Congress.

Biden and Harris appeared together for the first time since Biden exited the race when they spoke at an event in Maryland on Thursday. The duo used the time to announce a new program that is lowering the price of many drugs for seniors.

Trump Attempts to Steer Focus Toward the Economy

Trump also made the economy the focus this week, speaking at a media conference in New Jersey on Thursday. The former president blamed Biden's policies for causing inflation. Trump spoke from a podium surrounded by grocery products to illustrate his point about the rising cost of food.

Doing the speech, Trump also attacked Harris personally, repeatedly mispronouncing her name. While Trump held two events this week centering on the economy, he has yet to release any specific plans.

Vice Presidential Debate Confirmed

After weeks of discussion, it appears as if the vice presidential debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will indeed happen. Both teams have agreed to a debate hosted by CBS News on October. 1. The specifics of the debate have not been announced.

The next presidential debate is scheduled for September 10 at 9 pm EDT. The event will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and will be hosted by ABC News. David Muir and Linsey Davis will serve as moderators.

Democrats Prepare for Upcoming Convention

Credit: Associated Press

Democrats are preparing for the Democratic National Convention, slated to kick off on Monday in Chicago. The Harris and Walz campaign announced earlier this week that the pair will travel through the swing state of Pennsylvania on Sunday en route to the convention, visiting four towns to meet with constituents.

The Democrats have already announced that Harris and Walz are formally certified as the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

A virtual roll-call vote earlier in August solidified this announcement. While these votes are typically cast in person at the convention, a change in procedure formalized the nominees prior to the start of the event. As such, the Monday vote will only be ceremonial.

The full schedule of speakers for the convention has not been confirmed. However, Biden is scheduled to be the keynote speaker on Monday to kick off the festivities.

Party officials also confirmed that Harris will make her first appearance in front of the delegates that opening evening alongside the president. It is likely that Biden will receive a hero's welcome from his party. Organizers said that they are expecting about 50,000 people at the convention.

As the vice presidential candidate, Walz will deliver a speech on August 21 while Harris will cap off the convention by formally accepting the nomination in an address on August 22.

While Democrats are gathering in Chicago, Trump will hold counter messaging events throughout the week in several swing stages. The campaign said that these events will be smaller in scope and will focus on specific policy issues.

The former president is scheduled to appear in Pennsylvania on Monday, delivering remarks about the economy. Also on the schedule for next week include stops in Michigan, Arizona, and North Carolina.

In addition to speaking about the economy, it is being reported that Trump will address crime and immigration. The campaign believes that these three core issues will propel him back into the Oval Office.

Trump Returns to X

Former President Trump returned to X for the first time in almost a year on Monday, posting a video in advance of his streaming conversation with X owner Elon Musk.

The video lasted for slightly over two minutes, mostly focusing on the government search of documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence two years ago. He also came down hard on the U.S. Department of Justice for their investigation into alleged wrongdoings by Trump and his team.

Later that evening, Trump joined Musk for a conversation surrounding his campaign. Musk has emerged as one of Trump's biggest supporters, offering him a platform to spread his message. During the conversation, Musk did not make any attempt to fact-check Trump.

President Biden Announces Massive Funding for Cancer Research

In less negative political news, President Biden spoke at Tulane University on Tuesday, announcing a major financial award for his initiative aimed at curing cancer. Biden created the "Cancer Moonshot" program in the wake of the death of his son, Beau Biden.

During Tuesday's address, Biden detailed that the initiative is divvying out $150 million in new research dollars to eight organizations. Tulane University received $23 million of this allotment.

The Biden administration has overseen billions of dollars of funding for the Moonshot program since 2022. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of cancer deaths by half. The Tuesday event was the first time that the president has appeared in public for a formal speech since he exited the presidential race.

Polling Continues to Show Harris Surge

While experts caution to not read too much into the polls at this stage of the election, most major polling services are reporting that Harris continues to surge. She is increasingly growing the gap between support for her and Trump within the female vote.

As is typical, the battleground states are under close scrutiny and attention. The seven key swing states of Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia account for over 70% of all advertising spending between the two campaigns over the last four weeks.

Both campaigns have spent just over $118 million on advertising in these seven states across a variety of platforms.

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