OPINION:
When President Biden dropped out of the election race following an extended pressure campaign from Democrat Party elites, it served as a monumental shift in the dynamic of the 2024 presidential race.
With Mr. Biden as the nominee, the blueprint was simple. America saw him as a man of declining faculties. He could no longer climb the stairs of Air Force One or do an interview without reading cue cards. This was put on full display for America—and the rest of the world—during the June 27 debate.
With Vice President Kamala Harris’ emergence as the nominee and Tim Walz as her hand-picked running mate, former President Donald Trump and Republicans are up against one of, if not the most liberal ticket in presidential history. Ms. Harris’ choice of Mr. Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro demonstrated just how liberal her intentions are. After Mr. Biden, this was Republicans’ next best option.
But none of this will matter if Republicans don’t adjust their messaging accordingly. Ms. Harris is attempting to follow the same playbook that Mr. Biden successfully followed in 2020 along with a complicit media: Avoid taking tough questions, dodge debates, and ensure every appearance is in a controlled environment to avoid exposing her unpopular, radical policies and lack of preparedness for the job.
To give himself the best chance at winning this November, Mr. Trump must relentlessly highlight Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz’s records and make the 2024 election a referendum on his opponents.
As the California Attorney General, what did Ms. Harris accomplish? What did she accomplish as a U.S. senator besides becoming the most liberal member of the United States Senate? As a presidential candidate in 2020, what did she accomplish? She didn’t even make it to the Iowa caucuses. What about as vice president? She couldn’t even do the one job she was specifically given: Border czar. Now, she’s a presidential candidate by default; she was not elected but anointed.
Democrats and their media allies have been working overtime to scrub the history books and rehabilitate Ms. Harris’ image from being the least popular vice president in history. And so far, it’s working. Ms. Harris has gained 7 points in a recent national poll despite not espousing a single policy position or answering a single question from the media. President Trump and his campaign must relentlessly raise the alarm on Ms. Harris and Mr. Walz, highlighting just how extreme their policies are.
As vice president, Ms. Harris has a reputation for creating a toxic work environment. Her former chief spokesperson and senior advisor-turned-MSNBC-host Symone Sanders-Townsend indicated her time with Ms. Harris was so bad she might “never work for a woman again,” and her staff turnover rate exceeds 90%.
Ms. Harris says Bidenomics is working, even as she runs far away from her own policies. She cast the tie-breaking vote in the Inflation Reduction Act that led to inflation soaring over 20% since the Biden-Harris administration took office. She has overseen a stock market crash and job market numbers buoyed by new government jobs as the private sector continues struggling.
Her crowning achievement is her work at the southern border, which has experienced ten million-plus illegal crossings under her watch. She repeatedly avoided acknowledging there was an issue and even joked about the border with her trademark cackle, all as American citizens were left suffering the consequences.
For his part, Mr. Walz waited three days before calling the National Guard during riots in Minneapolis. He created a hotline for individuals to report neighbors who violated COVID-19 restrictions. He suggested socialism was synonymous with neighborliness, and his policies on transgender children are some of the most liberal in America.
Serious questions are even being raised about Mr. Walz’s service record. With J.D. Vance and Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita’s distinguished service, the Trump campaign should be out immediately with ads featuring veterans from the outfit Mr. Walz abandoned, stating: “We couldn’t trust him then. How can we trust him now?!”
Every American – outside of those firmly on the left – knows America was better, and would be better, under a Trump presidency. He doesn’t need to say it. He needs to spend every waking moment reminding Americans about the policies and records of his opponents.
Less than 25% of voters believe the country is headed in the right direction, with 65% saying we’re on the wrong track. The Trump team can ask the voters a simple question: “Do you believe the U.S. is moving in the right direction?” They should vote to put Mr. Trump back in office if the answer is no. But if you really think open borders, high inflation, and more foreign wars should dominate our future, then Kamala Harris is your candidate. Making this race a simple referendum on the country’s direction will mean great things for Mr. Trump and the GOP.
If President Trump can stay disciplined and hammer home the failed records of Harris-Walz, he’ll be looking at another four years in the White House.
• Evan Berryhill is a Republican political strategist and attorney. He previously served as the deputy communications director for Governor Ron DeSantis’ 2022 reelection campaign and as a communications staffer on Capitol Hill.
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