Vice President Kamala Harris sought Tuesday to turn her biggest weakness into a strength, slamming former President Donald Trump’s record on immigration while casting herself as strong on the border.
During a campaign rally in Atlanta, Ms. Harris touted her record as a prosecutor in California, saying she targeted transnational gangs, drug cartels and human traffickers who came into the country illegally.
“I prosecuted them in case after case, and I won,” she told the raucous crowd. “Donald Trump, on the other hand, has been talking a big game about securing our border, but he does not walk the walk.”
The new attack on Mr. Trump’s record on immigration comes just hours after the GOP nominee released an ad referencing Ms. Harris’ position as “Border Czar” in the Biden administration and that she failed to stop millions of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S. Mexico border.
Ms. Harris blamed Mr. Trump for scuttling a bill on border security last year, accusing him of playing politics for personal benefit.
“Donald Trump does not care about border security,” she said. “He only cares about himself.”
In a statement, the Republican National Committee noted that Ms. Harris’ comments took place in Georgia, where an illegal immigrant has been charged with murder in the death of college student Laken Riley.
“A vote for dangerously pro-criminal Kamala is a vote for another four years of soft on crime and open border policies,” the RNC said.
The campaign rally came the same day a Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll revealed that Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris are tied in the Peach State with 47% support each.
Ms. Harris’ campaign believes Georgia is in play despite Mr. Trump’s commanding lead over President Biden before he dropped out.
Dan Kanninen, director of battleground states for the Harris campaign, said they believe Georgia is in play for two key reasons.
He said Ms. Harris is talking about issues such as abortion and student debt that resonate with younger voters in the state. That, coupled with criticism levied at Mr. Trump by in-state Republicans, will play in Ms. Harris’ favor, he said.
Political analysts in the state both say their side is going to pull out a victory.
Stanley Forth, the Democratic chair of Putnam County, Georgia, said Ms. Harris has changed the race in Georgia and she will soon pass Mr. Trump and win the state.
“She has reenergized the electorate and will get more people out to vote,” he said. “I think her economic and abortion messages will resonate with voters in the rural areas.”
Jay Wiliams, a Republican strategist, dismissed Ms. Harris’ surge in recent polls as a “sugar high” from replacing Mr. Biden atop the ticket.
“It’s a right-leaning state,” he said. “She will have to make a good case for herself if you are not right-leaning, and she won’t be able to make that case because she is a California liberal.”
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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