Investing.com -- Republican backers of Donald Trump are ramping up attacks on U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as speculation grows over whether she could replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate in the 2024 presidential election, according to Reuters.
Biden's disastrous performance in a much-anticipated debate last week with Trump has reportedly sparked concerns among Democrats over his ability to continue his reelection campaign.
Although Biden has reiterated his desire to stay in the race, media reports have suggested that Harris remains Democrats' main choice to top the party's presidential ticket should he ultimately choose to step aside.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this week suggested that Harris would present a stern challenge to Trump. The former president only leads Harris by one percentage point -- 43% to 42% -- in a hypotherical face-off, Reuters reported.
In response, the news agency said Trump's campaign and his Republican allies are rolling out fresh criticisms of Harris in a bid to discredit her. The swipes have focused on her immigration record in particular, blaming her for not addressing the flow of illegal migrants into the U.S. -- even though she has not been directly tasked for handling issues at the southern border.
The Biden campaign has deemed the attacks "false" but did not speak to whether the vice president is waiting to become the Democratic candidate, Reuters said, quoting a spokesperson for Harris.