Axelrod Praises Kamala Harris For Not Running as ‘First Black Woman President’: ‘Not Enough to Bring the Voters Who They Need’

CNN’s David Axelrod praised Vice President Kamala Harris for not emphasizing in her pitch to voters that if she wins in November, she would be the first Black woman president in United States history.

Appearing on CNN News Central on Wednesday, Axelrod acknowledged his take may not get the best immediate responses on social media.

“Let me just say one thing and just because I haven’t been trolled on social media yet today, let me throw a log on the fire,” the former Barack Obama strategist said.

Axelrod, who previously called for President Joe Biden to drop out of the race against Donald Trump, urged Democrats to keep the focus on Harris as the “best qualified” to be commander in chief.

“I heard my really dear friend, and she is, Congresswoman [Janice] Schakowsky, leaning into ‘I’m so excited, this is a historic thing, black woman’ and so on. You don’t hear Kamala Harris saying that, and she’s smart not to. She’s not running to be the first Black woman president,” Axelrod said. “She’s running to be president of the United States, and she thinks she’s the best qualified and the most representative of this country as a whole, and that’s how she should run.”

Leaning into Harris being a “historic” choice, the Democratic strategist added, will not be what wins over swing voters. The strategist also blasted Republicans and accused them of focusing their attacks on Harris’s background, rather than her “center-left” policies.

“You know, the fact is her supporters should talk about why she’s the strongest candidate, not that she’s a historic candidate,” he said. “Everybody can see that, but that’s not enough to bring the voters who they need to come along.”

Watch above via CNN.