Vice President Kamala Harris said she’s “scared as heck” that Donald Trump could win another term as president as she pledged an aggressive campaign to make sure that doesn’t happen.
She made the comments Wednesday on ABC’s “The View” in response to a question from Joy Behar, one of the show’s hosts. Behar cited reports that other top Democrats — including former President Barack Obama and Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina — are concerned about President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.
Asked if she was scared about the potential of another Trump presidency, Harris said: “I am scared as heck! Which is why I’m traveling our country. You know, there’s an old saying that there’s only two ways to run for office — either without an opponent or scared. So on all of those points, yes, we should all be scared.”
Harris said the fear should serve as motivation for the campaign ahead.
But the 59-year-old Harris added: “We don’t run away from something when we’re scared, we fight back against it.”
Harris was responding to a question about reports former president Barack Obama was concerned with the Biden campaign, and to comments by ex-first lady Michelle Obama saying she was “terrified” of a second Trump term.
Biden has stepped up direct attacks on Trump recently, warning that the twice-impeached former president — who faces 91 criminal indictments — poses a threat to US democracy.
The president’s reelection campaign has been giving Harris an increasingly prominent role as it seeks mobilize Black, female and young voters for this year’s crucial election.
Harris is a triple-trailblazer as first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president, and has been a big fundraising draw for Democrats.
But she suffers from low approval ratings and is a repeated target for Republican attacks saying she’s unqualified to take over as president if anything happened to the 81-year-old Biden.
Next week Harris will embark on a nationwide tour to promote reproductive freedoms as Democrats seek to make abortion rights a key issue in the 2024 race.
Harris kicks off the tour in the pivotal swing state of Wisconsin on Monday, coinciding with the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that granted a constitutional right to abortion.
Trump has repeatedly taken credit for the court overturning the landmark ruling last year, as he appointed a series of conservative judges to the bench during his first term.
Harris received praise on her abortion messaging from an unlikely quarter — Trump’s former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
“What Kamala is doing, right or wrong, is very powerful among young women,” she told conservative Fox News.
