Kamala Harris to Announce Her Vice-President Running Mate on Tuesday

Vice-President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate by Tuesday afternoon, ending two weeks of intense speculation as the US heads towards the November presidential election.

Over the weekend, Harris interviewed several top contenders in Washington, D.C., including Governors Josh Shapiro and Tim Walz and Senator Mark Kelly. Her choice will join her on a whirlwind five-day tour of seven cities this week as Harris ramps up her campaign in key battleground states.

According to the most recent CBS poll, Harris and Trump are in a tight national race, with Harris holding a one-point lead over the former president. The poll released on Sunday shows the two candidates tied in battleground states, where Trump had a five-point lead while Joe Biden was still in the race.

Harris reportedly met with her vetting team, led by former US Attorney General Eric Holder, over the weekend. She received in-depth presentations on the candidates' backgrounds, including potential political vulnerabilities. On Sunday, she met with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Harris also met with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday and several other candidates virtually, according to US media reports.

Ahead of the decision, the Harris campaign faced a flurry of lobbying efforts both for and against the candidates. Shapiro, for example, has drawn sharp opposition from some progressive groups for his support of private school vouchers in Pennsylvania and his pro-Israel views.

The announcement is expected to take place ahead of a Harris campaign rally in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. The Philadelphia event will be followed by a series of campaign stops across Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona, before concluding with an event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 10.

Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have both suggested that Harris' choice of running mate will ultimately have no impact on the election. In a recent episode of the "Full Send" podcast, Vance stated that he believes the vice-presidential choice "doesn't really matter." Trump has also downplayed the significance of Harris' choice, arguing last week that the vice-presidential role "does not have any impact."

However, on Sunday, Trump criticised Shapiro on Fox News, suggesting that Harris could lose "her little Palestinian base" if she chooses him. Shapiro, who during his student days wrote in a college magazine that Palestinians were "too battle-minded," has since stated that he supports a two-state solution.

As the country awaits Harris' announcement, the political landscape remains highly charged with the upcoming election drawing near.