Kamala Harris rally at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia: Everything you need to know
Kamala Harris' VP pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will join her at today's campaign event in Philly, her fifth trip to the region in just the last couple of months.
All eyes will be on Philadelphia Tuesday as Kamala Harris takes the stage alongside her 2024 running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
It’s Harris’ fifth trip to Philadelphia region in just the last couple of months, though it’s her first as the Democratic presidential nominee. On May 8, she joined Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph in Montgomery County to highlight reproductive rights, and on May 21 she delivered the keynote address at the 2024 Service Employees International Union’s international convention. On May 29, Harris joined Biden during a rally at Girard College, the historic boarding school in Fairmount, aimed at shoring up support with Black voters.
» READ MORE: Live updates: Kamala Harris picks Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz at her 2024 running mate
Where and when is Kamala Harris speaking in Philadelphia today?
Harris is scheduled to attend a campaign rally at the Liacouras Center, the 10,000-seat basketball arena on Temple University’s campus Tuesday evening. She’s expected to speak around 5:30 p.m.
It will be Harris’ first campaign stop in Philadelphia since becoming the Democratic nominee.
It’s the same venue where former President Donald Trump held a campaign event in June. It was the first rally he has ever held in Philadelphia, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 7-to-1. In 2020, Trump received only 5% of the vote in precincts within a half-mile radius of Temple’s campus.
“I was like, Philly? Is he sure?” Tom Mathena, a Trump supporter and construction worker from Wilmington, told The Inquirer.
Will Josh Shapiro attend Harris’ rally in Philly?
Yes.
Despite not being selected as Harris’ running mate, Shapiro is scheduled to deliver remarks at the Liacouras Center around 5 p.m., according to the governor’s office.
Will there be any road closures on I-95 or elsewhere?
While the Secret Service doesn’t provide the routes for obvious reasons, there will likely be rolling closures on both I-95 and I-676 as Harris makes her way between the airport to the Liacouras Center.
Police said delays and closures are expected in the immediate vicinity surrounding the Liacouras Center Tuesday.
Harris and Walz will visit several battleground states this week
Following her rally in Philadelphia Tuesday, Harris is scheduled to stay on a road this week in a blitz of battleground states.
On Wednesday Harris and Walz will travel to Detroit and Eau Claire, Wis., followed by Raleigh, N.C., on Thursday. A planned stop in Savannah, Ga., on Thursday was postponed due to the impact of Tropical Storm Debby.
Harris will cap off her travels with a stop in Las Vegas on Saturday.
» READ MORE: Presidential campaign schedules for Tuesday include Philly stops for both Harris and Vance
JD Vance will also be speaking in Philly on Tuesday
Hours before Harris takes the stage at the Liacouras Center, Sen. JD Vance (R., Ohio) is also slated to speak at an event in Philadelphia.
Vance, Trump’s running mate, is scheduled to attend a campaign event at 2300 Arena on South Swanson Street in South Philly. Doors are scheduled to open at 10 a.m., and Vance is slated to speak at noon, according to the Trump campaign.
It is Vance’s first campaign stop in Philadelphia since being named Trump’s running mate last month. Vance will also mirror Harris’ blitz of battleground states this week, attending his own campaign events in Detroit, Eau Claire, Wis., and Raleigh, N.C.
» READ MORE: JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, is traveling to Philadelphia Tuesday. Here’s what to know.
Will JD Vance debate Tim Walz?
That remains unclear.
A vice presidential debate had been scheduled to take place at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., on Sept. 25, but the event was canceled.
There might not be another presidential debate, either. Trump backed out of a debate on ABC that, prior to Joe Biden dropping out of the race, had been scheduled for Sept. 10. In its place, Trump proposed a debate on Fox News on Sept. 4 in Pennsylvania that would involve a live audience.
“I’ll be there on September 10, like he agreed to,” Harris wrote on social media. “I hope to see him there.”
When does the DNC start?
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place Aug. 19 through Aug. 22 at the United Center in Chicago. The stadium is home to both the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks.
While the primary role of the DNC is to nominate the Democratic candidate for president, Harris officially became the party’s presidential candidate Monday night, thanks to a virtual role call vote.
Democrats held the early vote due to the threat Harris wouldn’t appear on Ohio’s ballot if they waited until after Aug. 7, the original deadline the state set for parties to submit their certified candidate’s names. While lawmakers pushed that date back to Sept. 1, Democrats stuck with the virtual roll call vote due to the threat of lawsuits from conservative groups, including the Heritage Foundation.
“If we take chances with state processes and deadlines, Republican groups could make the argument to challenge Democratic votes on the postelection side, arguing that our nominee should never have been on the ballot in the first place,” DNC outside counsel Pat Moore told CBS News.