Vice President Kamala Harris scored a "DETROIT VS EVERYBODY" shirt on the city's east side Tuesday where the Democratic presidential nominee's supporters greeted her following her interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God that was broadcast from the Motor City as part of a push to appeal to Black male voters.
"I just love this saying," Harris said, of "DETROIT VS EVERYBODY." "I just feel a kindred spirit whenever I come to Detroit."
"This is a town of people who have grit, who have determination and who have optimism and ambition and apply to that a lot of hard work which makes Detroit a first-class city in the United States of America," she said.
Hours before Harris arrived, CRED Café was abuzz with Harris supporters gathered to watch her interview. But when Harris began speaking, the room fell silent, her supporters listening intently from high-top tables, couches and standing in the back under signs that read "BLACK JOY!" and "WE'RE NOT GOING BACK." But at times, they raised their voices to express support for the Democratic presidential nominee.
When Harris said she faces a very tight race against Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, but it's one she said she'll win, her supporters applauded.
Harris then pivoted to criticize her opponent's time in the White House, asking those listening to recall Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and family members who died. "Remember what that was like during the height of COVID?" she asked, prompting hums of resonance in the room. She next turned to talk about her plan for tackling persistent racial disparities. When she talked about boosting homeownership among Black Americans, she referenced the history of racial discrimination. "She ain't playing," one man in the crowd responded.
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Pressed by Charlamagne tha God on whether her stated commitment to pass certain policies in the face of congressional inaction — like federal legislation to tackle police brutality — amounts to an empty political promise, Harris pushed back. She said landmark civil rights laws took years to come to fruition. "It took a lot of work over our history to do what we have accomplished thus far," she said. The solutions she’s offered won't emerge overnight, Harris said, but they won't materialize if opponents to her policies convince voters their participation won’t move the needle. "So let’s not fall for it," Harris said.
Toward the end of the interview, Harris blasted her GOP rival, saying he targets predominantly Black cities. "So can you imagine, you go to a city and you say you want the votes of those people and then you disparage them, and that's what he did in Detroit," she said, an apparent reference to Trump's comments in the city last week that the whole county would be like Detroit if Harris is elected. "You're going to have a mess on your hands," Trump said at the time. Trump again pointed to Detroit to say the city and other urban areas make the U.S. a developing country Tuesday, drawing more blowback from the Harris campaign.
The Trump campaign blasted Harris' interview with Charlamagne tha God. "In Kamala's America, Black Americans know that we come last — after illegal immigrants, the war in Ukraine and now the Middle East," said Janiyah Thomas, Team Trump Black Media Director. Thomas also criticized Harris for saying racial reparations should be studied, claiming it amounted to Harris "imposing reparations" that would be costly.
Harris' visit to Detroit comes as her campaign ramps up its efforts to court Black voters — specifically Black men. On Monday, her campaign released Harris' "Opportunity Agenda for Black Men" which includes proposals to provide forgivable loans to Black entrepreneurs, support Black men interested in becoming teachers, legalize recreational marijuana and more.
Trump has made his own push to win over Black voters , participating in a roundtable event in Detroit where Black Republicans promoted his candidacy.
Some Black Michiganders supporting Harris who attended the watch party in Detroit doubt Trump has made significant inroads among Black voters.
Maurice Davis, 40, of West Bloomfield, who said he already voted for Harris expressed confusion at the prospect of Black men supporting Trump. "I'm baffled," he said. Davis — a personal injury and civil rights lawyer — expressed frustration with Trump-appointed U.S. Supreme Court justices he described as turning back the clock, pointing to their decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions.
"I was raised to vote," said Joseph Crawford, 66, of Detroit — whose family owns CRED Café where the Harris watch party took place. But he's worried about a potential drop-off in participation among Black voters that could cost Harris Michigan. "Low turnout. That's my biggest concern," he said.
Michigan is home to several majority-Black cities that are Democratic strongholds where Harris is expected win by wide margins. But turnout trends or a small fall-off in support among Black voters could make a difference in battleground Michigan, where polls show a very tight presidential race.
Harris' election would be historic. If elected, she would be the first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent to be president.
Before Tuesday, Harris was last in Michigan on Oct. 4 for a rally in Flint where she delivered a speech saying Trump would allow China to dominate the U.S. auto market. Trump last visited the Mitten State last Thursday where he delivered a meandering speech hosted by the Detroit Economic Club.
Harris is scheduled to return to Michigan on Friday to make stops in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Oakland County, according to her campaign. On Saturday, she's expected to spend time in Detroit to kick off the early voting period in the city. Trump has a planned visit to Michigan on Friday for a roundtable discussion in Oakland County followed by a rally in Detroit , according to his campaign.
Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Harris a 'kindred spirit' with Detroit, she says after interview with Charlamagne tha God
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