Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism for featuring images of ex-President Donald Trump’s border wall in her latest campaign advertising. This decision has led to questions about her stance on border security and immigration, especially considering her earlier outspoken criticism of the wall.
On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront segment emphasized the apparent inconsistency between Harris’ prior statements and her current campaign approach. Andrew Kaczynski, CNN’s KFile senior editor, found 50 instances where Harris criticized Trump’s border wall, making its inclusion in her campaign materials especially significant.
In her 2019 book, “The Truths We Hold,” Harris strongly criticized the border wall. She wrote that it was not only futile but that it would stand as a monument opposed to her values and the fundamental principles upon which the United States was founded. According to Harris, the wall symbolically sends a message to the world, “KEEP OUT.”
At a public gathering in 2019, Harris described the border wall as a “vanity project” and accused Trump of fabricating “a national crisis around his big distraction.” She consistently depicted the wall as a waste of taxpayer dollars and an ineffective response to concerns about border security.
Despite her past condemnation, a part of the very wall she once criticized is featured in Harris’ recent campaign ad. Kaczynski pointed out that the portion of the wall shown in the ad was built during Trump’s administration.
The change in Harris’ stance seems to be part of a more comprehensive shift in her approach to immigration policy. As Vice President, Harris has adopted a more moderate view on border security issues, including support for increased border security and policies making it harder for migrants to seek asylum. This is a dramatic shift from her previous promises to “honor the process” of asylum and protect vulnerable migrants.
The Biden administration has continued some of the border wall construction and implemented policies that limit asylum. Harris has not yet publicly commented on these actions, which appear to contradict her previous stances.
The apparent change in Harris’ position has been seized upon by political adversaries. Trump’s former senior advisor, Jason Miller, described Harris’ change in stance as “total bulls—.”
It should be noted, however, that Harris has not explicitly stated a change in her position on the border wall. The controversy largely stems from the imagery used in her campaign and her support for a bipartisan border security bill that included using some funds previously set aside for the border wall during the Trump administration.
The proposed bill, which ultimately did not pass in the Senate, was a compromise that included various border security measures besides wall funding. It suggested provisions for more asylum lawyers and judges, as well as the authority to close the border if migrant crossings exceeded a certain limit.
The Harris campaign has presented her as a “border state prosecutor”, emphasizing her support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents. This rebranding of Harris’ position on border issues reflects the changing political debate on immigration, significantly influenced by Trump’s policies.
As the 2024 election draws near, Harris’ usage of border wall imagery in her campaign ads seems to be an attempt to reinforce her position on border security. However, this strategy has invited criticism from both political spectrums.
