Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign hit a major roadblock just days before the first presidential debate, with a revelation that her policies were copied directly from President Joe Biden’s campaign website.
After weeks of criticism for not outlining her positions, Harris’s team finally added an “Issues” section to her campaign site on Sunday. But instead of showcasing a fresh vision, the content was embarrassingly similar to Biden’s, even including language urging voters to reelect the current president.
This blunder was first flagged by a social media user, Corinne Green, who pointed out the glaring issue: the site’s metadata urged the reelection of Biden. The fact that it remained visible when links were shared on social media and search engines only added to the embarrassment.
Left-wing outlet The New Republic was quick to pounce, describing the launch of her policy platform as “embarrassing copy-paste” and a major misstep for a campaign that needed to distinguish itself from Biden’s.
With the Democratic base already divided over whether Harris represents real change from Biden’s administration, this stumble is particularly damaging. Polls suggest that over 60% of voters want the next president to represent a major departure from the current administration. Yet, Harris’s policies—and now the embarrassing metadata error—only reinforce the idea that she is running as a younger version of Biden.
The timing couldn’t be worse. With the first (and likely only) presidential debate just hours away, Harris is under tremendous pressure to perform well.
She’s been notably absent from the public eye for the past seven weeks, only appearing once on CNN for an interview alongside her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Critics argue that her campaign’s reluctance to address major issues like inflation, immigration, and foreign policy has left voters in the dark about where she truly stands.
What’s making matters worse is that this copy-paste error isn’t just a technical slip-up—it’s emblematic of a deeper issue. Harris has struggled to break away from Biden’s shadow, both in terms of policies and campaign strategy.
Many are now questioning whether her campaign is simply being run by the same team that managed Biden’s contentious reelection bid, leaving her unable or unwilling to take a bold stand on controversial issues.