OPINION:
When all is said and done, the 2024 presidential campaign will be long remembered for many reasons.
The assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump. The anti-Israel campus protests. The cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline. Democratic Party bosses installing Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee at the eleventh hour without receiving a single vote.
Two other topics, however, aren’t getting nearly enough attention, and ignoring them will set a dangerous precedent for future presidential campaigns.
Kamala Harris is a unique candidate because of the unconventional way she became a candidate for president over the summer. Ms. Harris did not run a primary campaign to earn her party’s nomination and spent no time auditioning for the toughest job in the world. She did not introduce herself to the American people or explain why she wants to be president.
Even today, voters have to guess the details of Ms. Harris’ vision for the future — or lack thereof.
Due to these unusual circumstances, the Harris campaign’s continued refusal to allow their candidate to do unscripted interviews and off-the-cuff news conferences indicates a lack of respect for the American people. Voters should be given more biographical information and policy details about those who seek the most powerful office in the world, not less. If Ms. Harris wants to be trusted as a competent leader and commander in chief, she should face the media as every other presidential candidate before her has. To not do so is simply irresponsible.
Ms. Harris’ arrogant belief that she doesn’t owe American families answers to tough questions cannot be overlooked.
The mainstream media must step up and fulfill their duty. By allowing this disturbing lack of transparency to stand, our already fragile democracy risks future campaigns in which candidates don’t have to engage the media — or the people — at all. That’s extraordinarily unhealthy for our constitutional republic, which has become the envy of the world partly because of the way our candidates work to earn the votes of their fellow countrymen.
Unless something drastically changes in the mainstream media over the next six weeks, Ms. Harris will gladly take advantage of the situation and coast to Election Day without answering a single inconvenient question about anything. The American people deserve better, and that’s why I decided to do something about the appalling lack of scrutiny regarding Ms. Harris’ record in office and her policy proposals for the future.
This week, Citizens United Productions released our latest documentary, “Trump’s Rescue Mission: Saving America.” The film takes a much-needed critical look at Ms. Harris’ political career, focusing on her statements, votes, and positions on the country’s most important issues. Because the mainstream media is more biased and “Trump Deranged” than ever, there’s a void when it comes to unfiltered information about Kamala Harris — and my new film contains a lot of information that is missing from the current debate.
The American people should know about Ms. Harris’ efforts to fan the flames of the reckless “defund the police” movement; they should know the warped open border policies Ms. Harris pushed when she was rated more liberal than Bernie Sanders in the Senate; and they should know about Ms. Harris’ leadership role in passing the ill-named Inflation Reduction Act. Let’s remember that in 2020, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris promised moderation and unity, but Americans got radical socialism and division instead. They also preached economic progress and a “return to normal.” Instead, we got inflation, war and record drug overdoses.
Due to a toxic mix of censorship and disinformation, it’s challenging to learn the extent of the failures of the past four years under Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris. That’s why it’s important for the American people to seek the truth from as many sources as possible to make an informed decision at the ballot box.
• David N. Bossie is president of Citizens United and served as deputy campaign manager for Donald J. Trump for President.
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