The youth-led gun violence prevention group March For Our Lives has named Vice President Kamala Harris and her presidential bid as its first-ever political endorsement, another indicator of support the younger generation seems to be showing toward the likely Democratic nominee.
The organization — created following the 2019 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida — said Wednesday that Harris' political history has shown she's a "forceful champion" for gun safety and for young people. The group said her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, is a "dangerous demagogue who wants to take us back in time, strip us of our rights and give a blank check over to the extremist gun lobby."
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The March For Our Lives endorsement asserts that Harris is a candidate who will "stand up boldly to him" and "fight for our lives tooth and nail." The group also introduced her as "a bold thinker who can inspire young people and create the future that we KNOW we deserve."
"We call on her to run a campaign that fights for the policy solutions that young people want, like an assault weapons ban, action on climate change, a vigorous defense of abortion, court reform and an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza," March For Our Lives said in a statement. "Young people are savvy voters, who will see through empty promises and cynical horsetrading. We believe that Kamala will step above that and fight for a bold, progressive future — and we will hold her accountable to that."
The group's endorsement comes days after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and voiced his full support for his vice president. Prior to his withdrawal, he had been trailing behind Trump in the polls, but Harris has started to show promise, particularly as younger voters appear to be rallying behind her.
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March For Our Lives said in its endorsement that it had been "struggling to feel excited about voting in the election" prior to announcing its support for Harris, as they have previously pressured both President Biden and former President Trump to do more in their administrations to prevent gun violence. But with Harris, the group points to her work leading the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention and working with gun violence survivors as strong assets to her campaign.
Plus, in saying, "What can we say? We're coconut pilled," the organization seemed to nod to the "coconut tree" meme that young voters, politicians, and Harris herself are using to show support for her campaign.
A DNC aide told CNN that Harris' campaign has been proactive in focusing on its digital campaign to better reach younger voters, and at the Democratic National Convention next month, content creators will be given access to the event to ensure this strategy is kept up.
