In her 1st presidential campaign rally, Harris says building middle class to be her 'defining goal'

July 23 (UPI) -- Vice President Kamala Harris said building up the nation's middle class will be her focus if elected president during her first campaign event as the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee.

"Building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency," Harris said. "When our middle class is strong, America is strong."

Harris appeared in Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon to deliver her first rally speech since President Joe Biden announced he would end his campaign and endorsed her.

Harris said her campaign is focused on the future.

"We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity to not just get by but to get ahead," Harris told the rally attendees.

"No child has to grow up in poverty," Harris said. "Every worker has the freedom to join a union."

She said everyone should have access to affordable health care, affordable child care and paid family medical leave.

"We believe in a future where every senior can retire in dignity," Harris added.

Harris also tried to tie former President Donald Trump to Project 2025 and claimed it is his platform.

Trump has denied having any knowledge of Project 2025 and said claims like the one Harris made Tuesday are " pure disinformation ."

Trump said the Republican Party platform has nothing to do with the 2025 Project, which the Heritage Foundation created. Critics, though, point out that Trump embraced almost two-thirds of the policy recommendations made by the Heritage Foundation during his first year in the White House.

The Wisconsin visit is the ninth for Harris since becoming vice president and her fifth this year .

Since Harris announced her run for president, Wisconsin Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers , Sen. Tammy Baldwin , Rep. Gwen Moore and Rep. Mark Pocan, have all rallied behind her.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., also publicly endorsed Harris for the presidency on Tuesday.

"Democrats have built a massive coordinated campaign in Wisconsin, which is now entirely focused on electing Kamala Harris as president," Harris' campaign said in a statement.

Harris' arrival in Milwaukee also came in the wake of the city hosting the Republican National Convention last week, where Trump officially accepted the party's nomination to run for president.

"Over the next few months, I will be traveling across the country talking to Americans about everything that is on the line," Harris said in a statement Monday as she said she had secured commitments from enough delegates to become the presumptive nominee for the party.

"I fully intend to unite our party, unite our nation and defeat Donald Trump in November," Harris added.

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Winkler said more than 90% of the state's delegates have pledged their support for Harris.

She is expected to fly back to Washington after the rally.

Harris is still awaiting a virtual roll call from the Democratic National Committee as well as its convention next month in Chicago before becoming the official nominee of the party.