The Harris campaign released a new ad highlighting Vice President Kamala Harris’ work as a California prosecutor to crack down on the border, a different message than the one she focused on as she prepared to be sworn in as a U.S. senator. The ad titled “Tougher” emphasizes Harris’ efforts to fight violent crime as a border state prosecutor, taking on drug cartels and incarcerating gang members who smuggled weapons and drugs across the border. It also mentions Harris supporting a tough border control bill as vice president and promising to hire more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking if elected president.
The ad references a bipartisan border control bill supported by President Biden and a few senators, which was voted down by Republicans in the Senate in February. Despite attempts to revive the bill in May, GOP lawmakers rejected it, prompting Biden to urge them to prioritize border security over politics. Harris has vowed to bring the legislation back if elected as president, emphasizing that she is tough on border issues. The timing of this ad coincides with Republican attacks on Harris’ record on the border, criticizing her handling of illegal immigration after she was tasked with addressing the root causes of the issue under the Biden administration.
Harris has faced criticism for her contrasting messages on border security, with her previous emphasis on defending immigrants and refugees when first elected to the Senate in 2016. In a Medium post at that time, she highlighted her efforts to protect immigrant crime victims and increase asylum seekers from war-torn countries. However, Republicans have continued to attack Harris’ record on the border, portraying her as weak and overly liberal on security issues. Former President Trump has also joined in on the criticism, blaming Harris for the current state of the border and predicting further destruction if she becomes president.
The Harris campaign has not responded to these attacks, including Trump’s recent comments on social media. As the border crisis continues to be a focal point of political debate, Harris’ record on border security is likely to be scrutinized further. The ad released by the campaign aims to counter these criticisms by highlighting Harris’ tough approach to border issues as a prosecutor and her commitment to enhancing border security as vice president and as a potential future president. The ongoing conflict over border security underscores the deep political divisions on the issue and the challenges faced by those tasked with addressing it.
