Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ visit to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Thursday showed she may have some work to do to get more young people to vote for the Democratic ticket of Harris and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota next month.
Democrats usually count on big vote margins at public universities to win elections in Wisconsin. The media weren’t allowed into Vice President Harris’ meet and greet with some business students at UWM. So, it’s hard to say how that discussion went.
But during that chat, hundreds of other students were outside the building. Some protesting Harris, others just watching the scene, which included dozens of law enforcement officers protecting the candidate.
There were, for sure, supporters of Harris in her election battle against Republican Donald Trump. A UWM student who gave her name as McKenna K. said the Democrat’s backing of reproductive rights is a key factor.
“I guess women should have a say for what they believe in and their bodies. I also feel like the way Trump handles himself is not what I would want in a leader. Even views aside from it, I wouldn’t want that as our leader. I feel like Kamala is more, like, willing to listen to the people," McKenna told WUWM.
Another student, who gave her name as Jocelyn, and who is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, said she prefers Harris’ approach to the U.S. border. "Especially with how she was saying patrolling the borderlands. How she’s been working on helping immigrants come here legally, not just hidden under the brush.”
Student Elliot Kaftan formerly worked in emergency medical services. He’s grateful that the Biden-Harris administration signed into law a provision capping copayments for covered insulin products at $35 per month.
“Which a lot of my patients, as you can imagine, might need. So, I really respect her for doing stuff like that," Kaftan said.
Those students commented as about 100 other students nearby held pro-Palestinian rallies critical of the lack of a ceasefire in Gaza and of U.S. military aid to Israel. Aid that the protestors say has helped kill more than 42,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
“U.S.A is painted red. U.S.A. is painted red. Free, free Palestine. Free, free Palestine," went one chant.
One of the protestors, Dina El Kassas of the Muslim Student Association, said Harris is no better than President Joe Biden when it comes to backing Israel’s actions.
“She said, and I quote, ‘I am firm on my support for Israel and their right to defend themselves,' " El Kassas said.
Israel's point for more than a year is that the Hamas attacks of last October killed more than 1,200 people and took about 250 people hostage.
The ongoing war in the Mideast is what keeps UWM student Nick Schiller on the fence between voting for Harris and a third party candidate.
“It is not only Israel and they are escalating, but we are actively funding and sending military weaponry there. And, our government is not only ignoring us speaking about it and bringing attention to it, and trying to silence us, but actively going in the wrong direction," Schiller said.
Harris did speak briefly Thursday to the national media traveling with her and the few local outlets who the campaign had allowed into her UWM venue.
The Associated Press reported Harris saying that the killing this week of Hamas’s leader "offers an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza" — adding that "Israel must be secure and hostages are released." But also saying that, "Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”
What happens in the next couple of weeks in the Mideast could affect college student support for Harris in the November 5th election.
