Kamala Harris to Break with Biden as She Crafts Her Own Policy Pitch: Report
(AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Vice President Kamala Harris will move to distance herself from President Joe Biden’s economic policies as she prepares to launch a fresh policy agenda focused on middle-class concerns.
The shift comes at a crucial time as Harris seeks to redefine her political identity ahead of the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Starting in North Carolina this week, Harris will deliver her first major policy speech, setting the tone for a series of initiatives aimed at tackling rising costs that have burdened many Americans. Her plan is to “take on corporate price-gouging,” specifically targeting healthcare, housing, and food costs, according to her advisers.
While Harris is not expected to directly criticize Biden in public, a close adviser revealed to Axios on Wednesday that she intends to break away from his unpopular stances, particularly on inflation—a key issue in the current political landscape. This is part of a carefully choreographed strategy to redefine her as a different kind of Democrat.
Harris’ push to separate herself from the Biden administration comes as 80 percent of U.S. adults express dissatisfaction with the country’s direction, according to Gallup polling highlighted in Axios’ reporting. Additionally, a recent Financial Times poll shows Harris being more trusted on the economy than former President Donald Trump.
The new approach is not just about distancing from Biden, Axios’ co-founders Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei wrote, but also about adapting and evolving her previous positions. Once a vocal supporter of Medicare for All and decriminalizing illegal border crossings, Harris has since shifted her stance on these issues.
Donna Brazile, former Democratic National Committee chairwoman, backed Harris’ strategy, and told Axios: “She can’t break the glass ceiling with a weak foundation. She knows she has to be tough.”
Tomorrow, Harris will join Biden in Prince George’s County, Maryland, at an event focused on lowering costs for Americans, marking their first joint appearance since Biden announced he would not seek re-election. The moment is set to be a critical test of how Harris’s emerging platform will be received.
