Harris woos donors, attends awards gala in Washington; Trump fundraises in Utah

Sept. 14 (UPI) -- Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris spoke to donors and honored Black leaders in Washington, D.C., her running mate Tim Walz held a rally in Wisconsin and GOP nominee Donald Trump participated in a fundraiser in Utah on Saturday.

Harris appeared Saturday afternoon at a private fundraising event in Washington and followed that with a keynote speech later in the evening at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Washington Convention Center.

During her talk with donors at the Washington Hilton , she touted her performance during Tuesday's debate with the Republican nominee and warned of the possible consequences of a second Trump term in the wake of July's Supreme Court decision ruling presidents to be immune from criminal prosecution.

"On Tuesday, I talked about my plans on how we will bring down costs, how we will build our economy, how we protect reproductive freedom and keep our nation safe," Harris said, according to a pool report. "But that is not what we hear from Donald Trump. Instead, it was the same old tired show. He was running from that same tired playbook that we've heard for years."

Later, she warned of the high court's ruling, "Imagine the meaning of that court ruling on this individual and what he is prepared to do and what he has already done. Imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails."

President Joe Biden and Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff , also spoke at the Phoenix Awards Dinner, which serves as the flagship event of the CBCF's annual legislative conference. Phoenix Awards are given to people who "are serving as leaders and trailblazers for the Black community, creating more opportunities for the next generation in the process."

During the dinner at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Harris warned Trump poses a "profound threat" to the vision of the nation because the former president and his allies "intend to take our nation backward."

"The CBC has always had a vision for the future of our nation, a future where we can see what is possible, unburdened by what has been, a future where we fulfill the promise of America, a promise of freedom, opportunity and justice, not just for some, but for all," Harris said. "Today, that vision, our vision, is under profound threat while we move and fight to move our nation forward toward a brighter future."

Harris also spoke about healthcare.

"We have a vision of our country where we understand that the access to healthcare should not be a privilege just of those who can afford it," Harris said, adding "We actually have a plan for healthcare, not just concepts of a plan."

During the debate Tuesday Trump said he had "concepts of a plan" though he had nine years to develop a plan to improve on the Affordable Care Act , known as Obamacare.

"I truly believe that America is ready to turn the page on the politics of division and hate, and to do it, our nation is counting on the leadership in this room," Harris said.

Harris spent Friday campaigning in the key swing state of Pennsylvania, talking to voters in Johnstown, Pa., and sitting down for her first solo television interview since becoming the Democratic nominee.

In her interview with Philadelphia's WPVI-TV , she was asked about Trump's enduring appeal to the state's voters despite his divisive persona and appeals to racism, and how she's expecting to counter it.

"I, based on experience, and a lived experience, know in my heart, I know in my soul, I know, that the vast majority of us as Americans have so much more in common than what separates us," Harris said.

"And I also believe that I am accurate in knowing that most Americans want a leader that brings us together as Americans and not someone who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point our fingers at each other," she added.

Walz. who is Minnesota's governor, continued to campaign in northern Wisconsin, also seen as a crucial swing state in November's election. His campaigned in Superior, Wis., following a stop Friday in Wausau.

In Superior, located in the northwestern tip of the state across the St. Louis River from Duluth, Minn., Walz similarly praised the outcome of Tuesday's debate and took aim at Trump's efforts during his first term to scuttle the Affordable Care Act.

"Not once did he ever worry that he would have to pay a medical bill," he told attendees at the University of Wisconsin's branch campus.

On Friday at Wausau's Whitewater Music Hall, Walz warned that the United States' foreign allies "have no respect for [Trump]. They know where he's at. He continues to brag about being friends with the dictators."

The former president, meanwhile, attended a private fundraiser Saturday at private hangar at the Salt Lake City airport.

Doug Quezada, one of the hosts, said there were close to 1,000 in attendance.

Organizers said they raised around $5 million for the Trump campaign.

The last time a Democrat won in Utah was 1964 when President Lyndon B. Johnson beat Barry Goldwater in 1964.

"President Trump didn't have to come to Utah, and everybody could say, well, he came for a fundraiser. Let's be honest," Utah state House Speaker Mike Schultz told the Desert News .

He raised a little bit of money, but he can raise money elsewhere." The visit caused Schultz to reflect on his interactions with the federal government and how he felt like the Trump administration handled it better than President Joe Biden's administration.

At his rally in Las Vegas on Friday, Trump repeated false claims about Venezuelan criminal gangs taking over parts of Aurora, Colo., and Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, declaring that immigration to the United States constitutes an "invasion."

"Our country is under invasion just like an army," he said, although refraining from repeating debunked rumors alleging Haitian immigrants in Springfield are killing and eating household pets. After Trump issued those slurs earlier this week, they were linked to a series of bomb threats delivered to the city's schools and public agencies, forcing children to miss classes.