In one single day, since Joe Biden announced he was stepping down as the Democrat’s nominee, VP Kamala Harris has raised over $150 million for her presidential campaign. She has also gained the endorsements of a large number of Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi and the Clintons.

But how realistic are her chances of winning against Donald Trump and how should the Democrats be shaping her campaign? Steve Israel, a former chair of the Democrat’s Congressional Campaign Committee - who has plenty of experience when it comes to big campaigns - joins Sarah, Anthony and Justin to discuss.

Also, why is Kamala Harris associated with coconut trees? Why does she get blamed for the border crisis by Republicans? We unpack the 5 most important things to know about Kamala, from coconut trees to her record on the border.

HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna Spring, Disinformation & Social Media Correspondent • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent

GUEST: Steve Israel, former Democrat congressman and former chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee

GET IN TOUCH: • Join our online community: https://discord.gg/qSrxqNcmRB • Send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp to +44 330 123 9480 • Email Americast@bbc.co.uk • Or use #Americast

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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni and Catherine Fusillo and Claire Betzer. The technical producer was Daffyd Evans. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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