Vice President Kamala Harris was overheard candidly discussing her campaign’s challenges in gaining support from male voters while sharing a drink with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at a bar in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The two prominent Democrats were unwinding after a campaign event when a live microphone caught Harris openly acknowledging the campaign’s struggle to win over men, a crucial demographic in the race against former President Donald Trump.
The pair stopped at Trak Houz Bar & Grill, where they were served pre-poured beers. A reporter asked Harris what she was drinking, and she responded, “I’m having what she’s having,” motioning to Whitmer with a laugh. Then, during an exchange about campaign obstacles, Harris noted the need for the campaign to “move ground among men.” Whitmer nodded in agreement, acknowledging the point without elaborating. Harris soon noticed the live microphones and appeared surprised. “Oh, we have microphones listening to everything! I didn’t realize that!” she remarked, laughing awkwardly. Trying to brush off the situation, she joked, “Well, now you tell us… we just told all the family secrets… s**t.” She and Whitmer shared a laugh before Harris added, “Anyway, good to see you!” and moved to wrap up the moment.
Kamala appears to acknowledge she's struggling with male voters before noticing there are "microphones in here just listening to everything."
"Shit! Ha ha ha!"
Fakest candidate ever. pic.twitter.com/ETYniX2wqW
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 27, 2024
The interaction comes amid growing signs that Harris is struggling to maintain strong support from several key voting demographics, including young Black and Latino men. This group, traditionally aligned with the Democratic Party, has shown a decrease in enthusiasm, a trend that Harris’s campaign team is working to reverse before election day.
Harris’s difficulties with male voters align with recent polling data that reflects a downward shift in support within certain voter blocs. According to a New York Times/Siena College poll, Harris currently polls at around 78% among Black voters, a notable decline from the 90% support President Joe Biden received in 2020. The polling also shows an even larger drop among Black men, with Harris garnering just 70% support, down from Biden’s 85% in the last election cycle. These statistics are causing concern among Democratic strategists, as Black voters have historically been a critical group for the party, particularly in close elections.
The declining support among Black and Latino male voters is mirrored in other recent surveys. A GenForward survey reported that nearly a quarter of young Black men say they are backing Trump, while 44% of young Latino men voiced similar support, according to The Hill. Harris’s campaign team is said to be focusing on these groups with targeted outreach, but the current polling underscores the uphill battle the vice president faces in reversing this trend.
The Kalamazoo stop reflects Harris’s push to shore up support in Michigan, one of the nation’s most closely contested battleground states. As Harris campaigns to lock in her base, former President Trump has been increasing his efforts to reach new demographics, a shift that political analysts see as potentially transformative in a state with razor-thin margins. While Michigan leaned blue in the 2020 election, its swing-state status has both parties pouring resources into voter outreach to ensure victory in 2024.
Harris’s campaign visit coincided with a notable development for Trump in Michigan: a rare endorsement by a group of local Muslim community leaders, including imams and mayors. Trump’s endorsement from these leaders marks a first for a Republican candidate in Michigan, a state with a significant Muslim population. The news of these endorsements quickly went viral on social media, with Trump supporters calling it a “historic moment” and suggesting it could be a decisive factor in Harris’s Michigan strategy. The Trump campaign has focused on this endorsement as a signal of a broader trend, with endorsements from unexpected demographics aimed at shifting public perception.
Harris’s moment of candor in Kalamazoo, where she candidly noted the “ground to move” among men, hints at the Harris campaign’s awareness of these numbers and the urgent need for more effective outreach to male voters. In recent months, Harris has been criticized by both political opponents and some within her party for lacking the “authenticity” needed to connect with certain voters. Her remark at Trak Houz about “all the family secrets” played into this perception for some, suggesting a lack of control over the campaign’s messaging.
Trump’s campaign capitalized on the moment. The Trump War Room account on X (formerly Twitter) shared footage of Harris’s hot-mic moment, adding a caption that labeled her the “fakest candidate ever.” This characterization plays into a frequent criticism from Trump’s supporters, who argue that Harris lacks the natural rapport needed to connect with a wide array of voters. The Harris campaign has pushed back against these claims, emphasizing her record and arguing that these criticisms are part of a longstanding attempt to undermine women in politics.
With the election fast approaching, both campaigns are fine-tuning their strategies to appeal to wavering voters. Harris’s team is ramping up efforts to address concerns among Black and Latino male voters, hoping to recapture the momentum that carried Biden to victory in 2020. However, the polling trend continues to show Trump making inroads across demographics that were previously Democratic strongholds. Analysts are closely watching these shifts, as changes in voting preferences within key groups could have significant implications not only for the presidential race but for down-ballot contests in states like Michigan.
HOLY SMOKES. Trump was just endorsed by numerous Imams, mayors and Muslim community leaders in Michigan.
No Republican has ever received this kind of support before. This is the final blow to the Harris campaign. pic.twitter.com/al7JnlG9Va
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 26, 2024
Both campaigns face critical hurdles, and the outcome could hinge on their ability to solidify support in battleground states like Michigan. For Harris, gaining ground with male voters appears to be one of her campaign’s highest priorities.