Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t personally disavowed her 2020 campaign positions, instead opting to avoid the press and leave her staff to issue anonymous statements on her policy reversals.
Harris briefly spoke to reporters on Thursday for the first time since launching her campaign for president, answering questions about her debate plans and future interview requests — but she didn’t touch on her current policy stances. Instead of explaining her platform, Harris has left her current positions up to her campaign, which has issued anonymous statements walking back several of her previous statements. (RELATED: ‘Dam Is Going To Break’: Trump Insiders Forecast Counterattack Against Kamala’s Basement Campaign)
Her aides’ latest policy switch-up came after the Uncommitted National Movement, a Palestinian activist group that has been vocally critical of Israel’s war in Gaza, said it had met with the vice president, who told them she was open to discussing an arms embargo on Israel. The vice president’s national security adviser, Phil Gordon, responded saying Harris has been “clear” about the issue, and that she “does not support an arms embargo on Israel.” Harris has not spoken on the issue herself.
Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris greets audience members at a campaign rally at United Auto Workers Local 900 on August 8, 2024 in Wayne, Michigan. Kamala Harris and her newly selected running mate Tim Walz are campaigning across the country this week. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Other reversals from Harris aides came within the first ten days of her campaign. When running for president four years ago, the now-vice president came out in favor of a ban on fracking, mandatory federal gun buybacks and the abolition of private health insurance.
An anonymous Harris campaign official first walked back Harris’ fracking stance on July 26, according to the Hill.
“Trump’s false claims about fracking bans are an obvious attempt to distract from his own plans to enrich oil and gas executives at the expense of the middle class,” the official told the outlet, referring to when the former president made mention of Harris’ 2020 stance during a rally.
Harris has not explained why she no longer supports the ban.
The New York Times reported that campaign officials noted Harris supports the banning of assault weapons instead of mandatory federal buybacks. Additionally, the outlet said officials reversed Harris’ support for a single-payer health insurance program, adding that the vice president now is behind President Joe Biden’s budget requests to increase funding at the border.
Harris also previously supported making illegal border crossings a civil offense, according to Axios. Her campaign told the outlet that Harris’ position has changed on the matter and she believes that “unauthorized border crossings are illegal.”
The strategy using aides to dramatically shift her policy platform without speaking about herself may not be working — 41% of registered voters see Harris as “very liberal,” according to a Marquette Law School poll, more than twice the amount that see her as “moderate.”
Among registered voters, 19% see Harris as moderate, while 41% see her as very liberal. Ten percent of voters see Trump as moderate and 48% see him as very conservative. #mulawpoll
— MULawPoll (@MULawPoll) August 8, 2024
While Harris’ staff does clean up for her previous statements, the vice president has spent time at rallies and fundraisers giving scripted remarks short on policy details. Her campaign site remains platform-less, instead providing visitors with a donation button and biographies on Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate on August 08, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. Polls currently show a close race between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Without a clear stance on top issues, Harris hasn’t appeared for a sit-down interview since launching her campaign. Biden is expected to appear for one before her this Sunday with CBS News.
After Trump held a marathon press conference on Thursday, answering questions for roughly an hour, Harris finally took some questions from the press. Harris spoke about plans to meet Trump on the debate stage and said she hoped to set up a sit down interview by the end of the month, a full six weeks after she launched her campaign.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign has a plan to push the vice president out into the spotlight, officials told the Daily Caller. The strategy largely circles around Sen. J.D. Vance, who is following Harris to several campaign stops in an effort to draw a contrast to her policies and media avoidance.
“The dam is going to break,” one source said of Harris’ run of hiding from the media.
