As more high-ranking Democrats entertain the idea of Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris gave a rousing speech during a return trip to North Carolina.
"Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in opportunity? Do we believe in the promise of America? And are we ready to fight for it?" Harris said to an enthusiastic crowd inside the gymnasium at Westover High School in Fayetteville.
The Vice President made the case that Biden and herself get another four years in the White House. She touted the record of the Biden administration on the economy, protecting women's rights and supporting military families.
She also took shots at her new Republican counterpart, Trump's running mate J.D. Vance. She called his candidacy a distraction designed to trick Americans into thinking Republicans prioritize the middle class. Instead, she said Vance was brought on to implement Project 2025. That is a set of policies and goals put together by a right-wing think tank. Democrats say the project is filled with extreme policies that are divisive and dangerous for the country.
"(Vance) talked about his life story, about growing up in southwest Ohio, and it was compelling. It's a compelling story, and it was not the full story. Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage. He did not talk about Project 2025, their 900 page blueprint for a second Trump term. He did not talk about it because their plans are extreme and they are divisive.
What to know about Project 2025
Harris also made a point of shouting out Cooper, calling him a dear friend and mentioning their work together as attorneys general. With conversation swirling about Biden possibly dropping out of the race, Cooper has been mentioned as a viable vice presidential candidate.
"He's a convicted felon, a chronic liar and the king of chaos," Cooper said of Donald Trump. "Do we want Donald Trump's America?"
Harris also slammed Republicans for calling for national unity -- again implying that they're not being honest and upfront with voters.
"In recent days, they've been trying to portray themselves as the party of unity. But here's the thing. Here's the thing, if you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word. You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans of basic freedoms, opportunity and dignity. You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are intent on taking reproductive freedoms, from the people of America and the women of America trying to ban abortion nationwide, as they do, and restrict access to IVF and contraception, as their plan calls for," Harris said.
Ultimately, Harris said she believes that Americans are not buying into the vision that things were better when Donald Trump was in the White House or that he's going to fix things he failed to fix his first time in office.
"We're too busy watching what you're doing to hear what you're saying," she said.
Voters react to Harris' speech
"She represents our country so well and stands up for military families," Katy Stevick told ABC11 after listening to Harris on Thursday.
Stevick was one of the many people at the event who said Harris' visit solidified their intent to vote for her in the 2024 election.
"They're not representing big business and corporations. They're representing the middle class," Stevick said.
Still, voters agreed the Elephant in the room for Democrats continues to be what the ticket is going to look like in November.
"I wish the Democratic Party could resolve its internal issues right now of who's going to run and how, but until that stuff gets resolved, I'm totally on board with the team that we've got," Vivian Moore said.
"It's about the economy, it's about healthcare, it's about taking care of people, it's about taking care of democracy. It's the world we've always had in the United States of America. We just don't want it to disappear," Biden-Harris supporter Paula Chassin said.
Before Harris arrived
"It's nice. It really is. For the vice president to come in, hardly a vice president ever comes to Fayetteville," Stacy Lawson said.
Voters react to VP Harris' planned trip to Fayetteville
Lawson hopes to hear specifics about how Harris and Biden plan to keep Americans safe in their neighborhoods.
"Crime. There's a lot of crime in this town and one thing with missing children, runaways -- we've noticed a lot of children getting abducted. We need to protect our kids," she said.
Harris' most recent trip to North Carolina happened last week in Greensboro. Today's visit marks her 15th trip to North Carolina since taking office in 2020.
Democrats are pushing hard in North Carolina, which is seen as a major swing state that could tip the election. Donald Trump won the state in 2020 and 2016, but his margin of victory in 2020 was razor thin.
Harris' trip comes after the White House announced that the president has COVID .
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