As Vice President Kamala Harris seeks to win over independent voters and ultimately the White House in November, she is firmly standing by the policy decisions she and President Joe Biden have made over the past nearly four years.
On ABC’s “The View” on Tuesday, Harris said there was “not a thing that comes to mind” when asked what she would have handled differently than Biden if she were at the top of the ticket in 2020.
“I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact,” she said.
In response, Ohio U.S. Sen. and GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “Kamala Harris is more of the same. She admits it herself.”
Vance and former President Donald Trump have sought to cast Harris as “more of the same” during campaign appearances, criticizing her and Biden for the 40-year high inflation during their term in office, the massive surge in illegal immigration and other policy matters.
While inflation has moderated in recent months, the costs of food, energy, housing and other products remain more than 20% higher since Biden and Harris took office in January 2021, a fact that a large majority of swing state voters say is “financially painful.”
As vice president, Harris cast tie-breaking votes to pass major administration spending plans, including the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act. The total cost of these bills is over $3 trillion. Many economists say that the two massive spending bills contributed to the skyrocketing prices.
Also under Biden-Harris, record illegal border crossings of more than 14 million since 2021 have cost taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars, led to a surge in fentanyl smuggling across the southern border, and overwhelmed many communities across the country.
When Biden dropped out of the race in July, he had large disapproval ratings among independents when it came to his handling of the economy and the border – receiving just 33% and 17% approval on those issues, respectively, according to The Center Square Voters’ Voice poll.
In an Economist/YouGov poll, independents disapproved of the president’s handling of immigration by a 50 point margin – 67% disapproval compared to 17% approval.
Harris and Trump remain in a tight race just four weeks our from Election Day.
