Politics and views in the United States.

Kamala Harris builds momentum toward nomination and vets potential Veeps. She and Trump take aggressive stances, as plans for a September debate continue. Sen. Bob Menendez says he'll resign, but will also appeal his corruption conviction.

TRANSCRIPT

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Welcome to 2024 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

Kamala Harris will fight for our future.

I'm proud to strongly endorse Kamala Harris to be the 47th president of the United States of America.

House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, are the latest Democrats to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

They're joining a growing list, now more than 40 senators and 100 House members.

Harris spoke at her first official campaign event in Wisconsin Tuesday.

As a former prosecutor, she says she's taken on predators who've abused women and fraudsters who have cheated consumers.

So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type. (audience laughing)

In May, former President Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts for covering up hush money payments to a porn star.

He said Tuesday that he would debate Harris in September.

Harris would be the first black woman and the first of South Asian descent to be president.

Tennessee Republican Congressman Tim Burchette slammed her on social media, saying she became vice president just because of diversity.

She's of Indian descent one day, and then when it fits, she'll say she's black descent.

It's just the box-checking White House is really all we've got.

But Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson insists the criticism of Harris is not about race, gender, or ethnicity.

This is not personal with regard to Kamala Harris and her ethnicity or her gender.

It had nothing to do with this whatsoever.

Harris is reportedly vetting a small group of VP picks herself, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, and three governors, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Andy Beshear of Kentucky.

University of Kentucky political scientist Stevan Voss says Beshear, one of the country's most popular governors, is in a good position.

Beshear, as a term-limited, second-term governor in a smaller, less prominent state, would hurt neither his career nor the Democratic Party as much as any of the other choices.

Beshear is just in a sweet spot to step into the ticket-mate role.

Since Biden left the race, social media has exploded with Harris-related memes and videos. 27-year-old Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost says that shows genuine support from Gen Z.

What we're seeing is a really classic example of when pop culture really gets intertwined with the politics, and it takes a special kind of candidate and a special kind of leader to inspire that.

It has to be organic.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address a joint session of Congress today, with sharp divisions over Gaza likely to be kept to the background.

New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez will resign from the Senate next week, having been convicted on federal corruption charges.

Menendez says he plans to appeal.

I have never violated my public oath.

I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country.

I'm Alex Gonzalez for Pacific Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.