While Vice President Kamala Harris has recently enjoyed favorable media coverage and a moderate rise in polling since entering the presidential race, Donald Trump aides argue that this “honeymoon” period is temporary and will diminish as the public becomes more familiar with her.
“The more she talks, the better,” Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita remarked to reporters last week. He added, “Biden’s problem is walking; hers is talking”.
Harris seems to have taken a cautious approach so far. In the three weeks since she became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, she has avoided holding a press conference or participating in a sit-down interview. Additionally, she declined two scheduled debates with Trump, agreeing to just one face-to-face encounter in September.
However, Harris’s strategy of avoiding the press carries significant risks. The Trump campaign, which spent less on advertising than President Joe Biden did this spring, has a substantial US$300 million war chest ready to be deployed in efforts to negatively brand Harris.
On Thursday, Trump advisers presented reporters with two attack-ad-style videos as part of a closed-door briefing, offering a preview of their messaging strategy against Harris. The first video was a compilation of Harris voicing progressive positions during her 2020 presidential campaign, including support for the Green New Deal, restrictions on public meat consumption, and the confiscation of guns. The second video highlighted Harris’s off-the-cuff speaking style, often characterized by awkward “word salads” and inappropriate laughter.
The central message of the Trump campaign is clear: Harris is “failed, weak, and dangerously liberal”. The campaign intends to paint Harris as responsible for Biden’s perceived failures, a radical liberal ideologue whose policies have led to chaos throughout her career on issues ranging from crime to the border crisis.
Trump aides claim that their internal polling shows Trump leading Harris on key issues, including the economy, border security, handling the Middle East conflict, and standing up to China and Russia. They also note that Harris’s previous controversial policy positions could alienate centrist and swing-state voters. For instance, she once called for a fracking ban, a stance that is unpopular in Pennsylvania. She also supported the Green New Deal, a US$10 trillion bill aimed at eliminating the fossil fuel industry while providing universal health care and housing for all US residents.
The Trump campaign is also betting that Harris will struggle in unfiltered and unscripted situations. Her first presidential campaign in 2019 began with positive buzz but quickly lost momentum due to campaign mismanagement, inconsistent policy positions, and a lack of preparedness. At the time, the New York Times reported that Harris’s aides acknowledged her difficulty in carrying a message beyond the initial script. Similarly, during her first year as vice president, the Washington Post reported that Harris’s staffers complained she would refuse to engage with briefing materials prepared by her team, only to berate them when she appeared unprepared.
Harris has often appeared caught off-guard by media questions. For example, when asked by a reporter how she felt about the return of American prisoners from Russia earlier this month, Harris struggled to respond coherently, stating, “This is just an extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy and understands the strength that rests in understanding the significance of diplomacy and strengthening alliances”.
