WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign is planned more aggressive attack former president Donald Trump Five Harris campaign officials say it’s a new phase in the weeks leading up to the November election, with a small number of undecided voters trying to sway their way.
The shift is driven, in part, by internal campaign data that suggests sharper anti-Trump messaging could persuade some still-undecided Americans to back Harris. The effort is determined includes new advertisements and tougher language on the campaign trail highlighting Trump’s past actions and rhetoric that Harris officials hope will turn those voters away from supporting the former president.
“We’re going to draw more contrasts wherever we can,” Harris campaign co-chairman Cedric Richmond said in an interview. Given Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail, Richmond added, “I don’t think there’s any expectation that you’re going to criticize him with kid gloves.”
Leaning more toward negative campaigning is a strategic shift for Harris. Although he has regularly criticized Trump since his July nomination and before as President Joe Biden’s running mate, the main focus of his campaign has been to define him and explain his record to voters.
Harris campaign officials have said they intend to continue to publicize his political positions, background and plans if he wins the presidency — and an increase in negative messages is often a natural evolution in a presidential campaign, as candidates make their closing arguments.
But highlighting what Harris campaign officials see as Trump’s key weaknesses appears to be one of the only ways to finally win over some undecided voters in a static race that Democrats want to push in their direction.
“The numbers are not moving,” said a Harris campaign official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.
“Basically, with a month to go, our messaging will be more about choice in this election,” said a second Harris campaign official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.
“There will be change,” the official said.
Indeed, the Harris campaign has begun telegraphing the approach this week, including two new ads: one that refers to his tenure as “volatile, disruptive and divisive,” and another that further elevates it. questions about him suitable for the office considering that he is 78 years old.
The campaign specifically cited internal research showing that “showing Trump as unstable, unlike Harris,” was “the most effective message for target voters” they were trying to reach and persuade in their bottom line.
In a campaign speech Friday at the Redford Township Fire Department in Detroit, Harris ripped Trump for being no friend of union workers.
“Donald Trump’s experience is a disaster for working people,” Harris said. “He is trying to burn people all over our country, but we know the facts and we know the truth. He is an existential threat to the American labor movement.”
While the vast majority of Trump campaign ads were negative, According to tracking firm AdImpactfor most of the past month, the Harris campaign ran an even mix of positive and negative ads on broadcast television. Harris campaign officials noted that in less than four months as a candidate, he needed to push what he presented longer before using more negative messaging to persuade voters and get them to vote.
The new Harris ads will zero in on Trump’s record and rhetoric, while further tying Trump to the conservative policy agenda of Project 2025 — a decision public inquiry shows According to a second Harris campaign official, the plan is very unpopular and the former president’s continued insistence that he has nothing to do with the plan. The goal is to “crystallize the choice of voters at home,” according to a third campaign official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.
Many of Trump’s allies helped create the more than 900-page Plan 2025. a Truth Social Post Friday“Liar Kamal was legally informed that I had nothing to do with it and had nothing to do with it,” Trump wrote. When asked about specific messaging the Harris campaign has planned, Richmond, a former Louisiana congressman, pointed to health care, immigration and retirement benefits for seniors.
“Can one say desperation! Don’t they know that DJT has been hit with 90% negative news in 8 years and it still polls better than ever???” This was said by Carolyn Levitt, the spokeswoman of Trump’s election campaign.
Richmond said he’s not worried about going too negative and believes Harris can both focus on his plans and show why he believes Trump is unfit to be president. He said he disagreed with everyone, including his Democratic colleagues, who felt Harris could be hurting Trump by being too negative.
“We can do both,” Richmond said.