Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a story that might just make you do a double-take. Vice President Kamala Harris’s latest campaign advertisement is stirring the pot by positioning her as a strong advocate for border security.
Yes, you heard that right! In a surprising move, the ad even includes footage of the border wall built under none other than former President Donald Trump.
Now, you might be wondering, "Why would Harris, a Democrat, feature Trump’s wall in her ad?" Well, the message the ad is trying to send is clear: Harris is tough on border issues. The ad showcases a shot of the border wall in Sasabe, Arizona, lifted from a Voice of America news clip from earlier this year.
It’s a striking visual, especially when paired with the claim that Harris, in her time as a border state prosecutor, “took on drug cartels.”
The Kamala Harris campaign is up on TV with multiple new ads this a.m. --
This spot is focused on border security
Male voiceover:
"As president, she will hire thousands more border agents and crack down on fentanyl and human trafficking. Fixing the border is tough. So is… pic.twitter.com/qb2wS5CLml
— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) August 9, 2024
This isn’t the first time Harris’s campaign has tried to paint her as a border security champion. Previous ads have highlighted her supposed support for increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and cracking down on human traffickers. But here’s where things get interesting—the reality of the situation under the Biden-Harris administration tells a different story.
Since taking office, the Biden-Harris administration has faced an unprecedented crisis at both the southern and northern borders. Over 10 million people have crossed into the U.S. during their tenure, and the number of "gotaways"—those who evade capture—is estimated to be a staggering 1.7 million since 2021. To put that in perspective, during Trump’s administration, the total reported gotaways over three years was just 415,000. It’s a dramatic contrast, to say the least.
Back in 2021, President Biden tapped Harris as the point person for addressing the influx of migrants, calling her the “most qualified” for the job.
Yet, under their watch, policies like ending DNA testing at the border—previously used to protect unaccompanied minors from sex trafficking—have raised concerns about their approach to border security.