Vice President Kamala Harris’s latest off-the-cuff remarks have raised eyebrows and sparked criticism from opponents who label her as inarticulate and lacking in presidential gravitas. During a campaign event in Scottsdale, Arizona, Harris deviated from her prepared script to say the 2024 election is “packed with some fundamental stuff,” leaving many to wonder if she is truly prepared to take on the mantle of leadership.
The incident is the latest in a string of moments where Harris has struggled to articulate her thoughts and come across as uncertain. At a Univision town hall, a voter asked how she plans to address concerns about her lack of Democratic primary votes. Harris responded by veering off topic, discussing the COVID-19 pandemic and the endorsement she received from Liz Cheney, while also praising President Biden for stepping aside voluntarily. Critics argue that these types of moments only reinforce their perception of Harris as a politician who says whatever she thinks will resonate with her audience.
A recent poll conducted by The Economist and YouGov found that nearly half of Americans (48%) believe Harris only says what she thinks people want to hear, rather than expressing her genuine views. Only 36% of those polled think she says what she believes. This perception is further complicated by instances where Harris’s ramblings appear to contradict her campaign strategy. For example, despite running on a platform of change, Harris struggled to identify specific policies she would alter from the past four years during a series of high-profile interviews.
On The View, host Sunny Hostin asked Harris if she would have done anything differently than President Biden during his four-year tenure. Harris replied that she couldn’t think of anything, citing her involvement in many of the decisions made during that period.
This lack of specificity was echoed in her appearance on CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where she refused to provide any concrete examples of changes she would make. Instead, she offered a canned response about the need for a new generation of leadership, before launching into a meandering explanation of her vision.
During a 60 Minutes interview, Harris was again unable to provide a clear answer to a question about the southern border, instead claiming that Congress needs to “fix” the problem. This stance is puzzling, given that laws to prevent illegal entry and secure the border are already in place. The Biden-Harris administration has, in fact, reversed many of the Trump-era border policies, including the Remain in Mexico program, which was suspended on their first day in office. When asked if loosening immigration policies was a mistake, Harris dodged the question, saying that solutions are available and that Congress needs to act. Critics will likely continue to question whether Harris has the clarity of thought and leadership skills necessary to compete in the 2024 election.
