Kamala Harris’s stance on the border wall is making headlines, and for good reason. During the Trump administration, she was vocal about her opposition to the wall, labeling it as “un-American” and a misuse of resources for a “non-emergency.”
So, her recent pledge to support and even extend the wall if elected president is raising eyebrows and sparking accusations of political flip-flopping.
This shift in Harris’s position seems to be part of a broader strategy to counter the relentless attacks from Donald Trump’s campaign, which has focused heavily on immigration issues.
By aligning herself with the recent bipartisan border security bill, which includes funding for the continuation of the wall, Harris is signaling a more hawkish approach to border security.
This move is likely aimed at appeasing voters who prioritize border security while still maintaining her differences from Trump’s more extreme measures, such as family separation and mass deportations.
“We don’t need to build a wall. This is a crisis of his own making. And by definition, just plain speak, basic English language definition, it is not an emergency,” Harris said. What’s going to end up happening is that he will end up without any question, if he proceeds, we’re going to be looking at a situation where in particular homeowners and landowners in places like New Mexico and Texas are probably going to look at government taking their land. We’re looking at military, again, on the President’s vanity Project instead of focused on real national security issues.”
The bipartisan bill in question was a product of negotiations between senators from both parties and includes detailed provisions about how the wall should be constructed, following the standards set during the Trump administration. While Harris’s campaign argues that the wall funding is just a small part of a larger border security package, her support for it represents a significant departure from her earlier positions.
Harris’s evolving stance on the wall is part of a broader pattern of her moving away from some of her past liberal positions, such as Medicare for All and banning fracking. Critics see this as a sign of political opportunism, while supporters might argue it’s a pragmatic approach to governing in a deeply divided country.
Either way, it’s clear that the border wall, once a symbol of Trump’s presidency, has become a contentious issue that even his political opponents can’t ignore.