The contours of the reshaped election were already clear, with Mr Trump at 78 now the old man of the race and Ms Harris relying on her past as a prosecutor to mount a courtroom-style evisceration of the first convicted felon to run for the White House.
But the Republicans’ campaign lost no time in trying to define her as a weak ally of an unpopular president, and as a “California liberal” out of step with Main Street America, after her ill-fated attempt to win the Democratic nomination in 2020.
Republicans also accused her of covering up for Mr Biden’s mental decline. Trump proxies went further with racist and misogynistic portrayals of the Indian-Jamaican-American VP, whose White House bid will attempt to shatter the last glass ceiling by electing a woman to the West Wing in November.
While benefiting from widespread relief at Mr Biden’s decision, Ms Harris must also prove herself in little time against a Republican opponent who knows no bounds.
No candidate for a major party has quit this late in the race, with Mr Biden yesterday conceding that it was “in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down”. He said that choosing Ms Harris as his running mate was the “best decision I’ve made” and urged supporters to rally behind her.
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