The previous progressive stance taken by Kamala Harris during her 2020 presidential campaign is now being used against her in the current election cycle. Republicans are highlighting her past statements and positions to portray her as a left-wing radical out of touch with swing voters. Former President Donald Trump and other GOP figures are bringing attention to Harris’ old remarks, aiming to define her negatively.
Republican strategist Brad Todd mentioned that there is an abundance of video clips showing Harris making liberal statements from her time in California, which will likely be continuously used throughout the campaign. The first attack ads against Harris were not from Trump’s campaign but from David McCormick, a GOP Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, who aired commercials featuring Harris’ past controversial statements on various issues like fracking, immigration, law enforcement, voting rights for felons, gun control, and healthcare.
Fracking, in particular, poses a challenge for Harris as she previously supported banning it, which could be detrimental in states like Pennsylvania where fracking plays a significant role in the economy.During a recent speech, Mr. Trump criticized Kamala Harris for her previous pledge to ban fracking, suggesting it would not sit well with voters in Pennsylvania. However, the Harris campaign has clarified that she no longer supports a fracking ban, aligning her stance with President Biden’s policies.
Campaign officials for Harris plan to address Republican attacks by emphasizing her experience as a prosecutor and attorney general. They also noted that Harris now supports increased border enforcement funding, does not endorse single-payer health insurance, and agrees with Biden on banning assault weapons without requiring them to be sold to the government.
A campaign spokesman highlighted Harris’s law enforcement background and her work in the Biden-Harris administration, dismissing Trump’s attempts to misrepresent her. The campaign aims to leverage support from liberal circles to frame the election as a choice between the future and the past, with Democrats portraying Trump as a symbol of the past.
In response to Trump’s criticism, Harris endorsed Biden’s Supreme Court proposal, which does not include expanding the number of justices. The campaign is focused on countering misinformation and presenting Harris as a candidate with a strong record in law enforcement and public service.There is extensive video footage of Mr. Trump making statements that could harm his 2024 campaign, including controversial remarks about women seeking abortions, attempts to restrict immigration from predominantly Muslim countries, implementing a policy of separating immigrant families at the border, and boasting about inappropriate behavior towards women.
Matt Bennett, a co-founder of Third Way, a moderate Democratic think tank, expressed confidence in Ms. Harris despite her past support for left-wing ideas. He noted that she has transitioned into a more centrist Democrat aligned with President Biden’s views, emphasizing that while her policy ideas have evolved, her core principles remain unchanged, such as her belief in addressing climate change as a critical issue.
Since joining forces with Mr. Biden in 2020, Ms. Harris has largely aligned her policy proposals with his, moving away from advocating for a single-payer healthcare system and clarifying her stance on income tax increases. However, she has differentiated herself from the President on abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade, indicating a willingness to sign broader legislation beyond just abortion rights, potentially encompassing areas like fertility treatments and contraception.
During her presidential campaign in 2020, Ms. Harris had proposed a more assertive approach to protecting abortion rights, suggesting federal oversight for states attempting to restrict access. This plan mirrored the Voting Rights Act’s mechanism for regulating voting laws in states with a history of discrimination.Regarding the issue of abortion rights, Kamala Harris stated that she is committed to ensuring access to reproductive health care. If elected, she plans to review and approve laws from states that have a history of restricting women’s access to such care before they can take effect.
By 2023, Harris had aligned her stance on abortion rights with Joe Biden’s call for federal legislation protecting the right to abortion. She emphasized the need to uphold the principles established in Roe v. Wade.
Despite challenges faced during her previous presidential campaign, including internal conflicts and family influence, Harris maintained her position on various progressive policies. She proposed initiatives like increasing taxes on the wealthy, implementing gun control measures, and promoting gender pay equality.
Throughout her campaign, Harris highlighted her background as a former prosecutor and California attorney general, as well as her identity as a Black and South Asian woman with a history of civil rights activism alongside her immigrant mother.Sue Dvorsky, a former Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman who supported Ms. Harris in the 2020 campaign, mentioned that people were not discussing policy matters but focusing on Ms. Harris’ biography instead. She noted that while Ms. Harris has always had a nuanced approach to policies, there is an expectation from the public for her to address specific issues such as law enforcement and her background as a prosecutor.
