Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris has signaled a major shift in her stance on border security by stating that if elected president, she would support allocating funding to continue building a wall along the southern border. This contrasts sharply with her previous views during the Trump administration, when she criticized the border wall as “un-American.” The shift in policy appears to reflect an attempt to counter criticism from political opponents of the Biden administration's creation and response to the border crisis.
Democratic National Convention Speech
Kamala made a clear aboutt-change on border security during her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, when Harris, once a vocal critic of the border wall, said she now supports a bipartisan border security bill that includes a provision to continue construction of the wall.
The bill negotiated by Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), S. 4361, the Border Act of 2024, would use the unspent funds to build a “pedestrian border barrier,” or wall, bolster immigration court resources, and hire more asylum judges.
In her speech, Harris said Trump had blocked the bill because he believed it would hurt her campaign, and said she would reinstate it. “I refuse to politicize national security,” she declared, pledging to “resurrect bipartisan border security legislation” if elected president and sign it into law.
She also highlighted her law enforcement experience to bolster her qualifications on the issue, saying she “understands the importance of safety and security, especially at the border.”
Harris concluded that portion of her speech by calling for “reform our broken immigration system” by “creating a pathway to citizenship and making our border secure.” This call to action is interesting, given that just two years ago, in July 2022, Harris confidently declared the border to be “secure.”
“Tough” Kamala
Seeking to combat harsh criticism from the Republican camp over Harris' failure as a “border czar,” and faced with growing dissatisfaction among voters, her campaign has rushed to reimage the weak and incompetent vice president as a “hardliner.”
A few weeks ago, the Harris campaign launched a new 30-second ad called “Stronger,” which aims to portray Harris as a strong voice on border security. The ad highlights Harris' experience as a “border state” prosecutor and her track record of tackling violent crime and fighting drug cartels and gangs involved in cross-border smuggling operations.
“Kamala Harris has been fighting violent crime for decades,” the ad states, highlighting her past efforts against border-related crime.
The ad also touts Harris' support for what she calls “the toughest border control bill in decades” and her plans to hire thousands more border patrol agents and crack down on issues like fentanyl and human trafficking if elected president.
“Fixing borders is hard. And so is Kamala Harris,” the narrator concludes.
According to The Hill, the campaign plans to run the ad in key battleground states like Arizona and Nevada, aiming to promote Harris' image while also attacking President Trump's failure to reach a bipartisan border deal during his presidency.
Conservative figures were quick to notice that Harris' ad featured imagery of the border that was built during the Trump administration. Mike Howell, executive director of the Oversight Project at the conservative Heritage Foundation, took to social media to share screenshots of two images of the wall featured in the ad and criticize Harris for her apparent hypocrisy.
“What's in this ad,” he posted to X. “Looks like a @realDonaldTrump BORDER WALL!”
Republican criticism
The Trump campaign, referring to an Axios article that broke the news, slammed Kamala Harris for “shifting” her position on the border wall. According to a statement posted today on the Trump campaign's website, Harris has consistently opposed the wall, calling it “un-American,” “a waste of taxpayer money,” and “medieval.” The campaign also highlighted her past efforts to block the wall as a senator and her actions as a “border czar” to block its construction. The Trump campaign questioned Harris' sudden change of position, suggesting she has always supported open borders, and called on her to clarify her position on the issue in interviews since she was nominated for the Democratic presidential nomination over a month ago.
“Kamala Harris is a FAKE. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD A BORDER WALL START NOW!” Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Trump's running mate, posted today.
Earlier this month, President Trump warned that Ms Harris would “destroy the country” if she became president.
“Kamala Harris has been appointed sole manager of our border, which has quickly become the worst and most dangerous border in history. As President, Harris will completely destroy our Country!” Trump said in a Truth Social post late Sunday.
In late July, the Republican Party released its first ad targeting Kamala Harris' record on border security.
The ad features images from news reports about crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants, with a narrator saying, “She's America's border agent. And she's failed us,” referencing Harris' responsibility for allowing more than 10 million illegal immigrants into the country and contributing to 250 million deaths from fentanyl.
The ad ends with footage of a 2021 interview in which Harris defends not visiting the southern border, saying she has never even been to Europe. The ad ends with the statement, “Kamala Harris: Failed, Weak, Dangerously Liberal.”
The ads will air in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin, with a total advertising budget of about $12 million, according to The Hill.
The Trump campaign and Republicans have vigorously attacked Harris over her approach to immigration under the Biden administration, arguing, naturally, that her ineffectiveness is directly linked to the surge in illegal immigration at the southern border.
In July, House Republicans passed a resolution condemning Harris' work as the administration's “border secretary.”
Polls have consistently shown immigration to be one of the top concerns for voters this election season.
