New Mexico rancher Russell Johnson criticizes Vice President Kamala Harris's shift in messaging on the border wall, accusing her of pandering for votes. Despite Harris's previous opposition to the project, she has pledged to spend hundreds of millions on the wall if elected president.
As the presidential election approaches, Vice President Kamala Harris is facing criticism for changing her stance on the border wall. New Mexico rancher Russell Johnson believes Harris is pandering for votes and questions why the Biden-Harris administration has refused to continue construction of the wall.
Kamala Harris Flip-Flops on Border Wall Stance, Accused of Pandering
Harris has previously spoken out against the border wall, calling it "a medieval vanity project" and arguing that it will not make the country safer. However, she has recently pledged to spend hundreds of millions on the wall if she is elected president, a move that has drawn accusations of hypocrisy and political expediency.
Johnson, whose ranch is located near the southern border, questions Harris's sincerity and points out that materials for the border barrier have been sitting unused near his property since the Biden administration began. "This administration has been in charge for the past three and a half years, and this material's been there for more than four years," he said. "Why haven't they installed it?"
Kamala Harris Flip-Flops on Border Wall Stance, Accused of Pandering
Johnson believes that Harris is "absolutely pandering for votes" and that she has "been the border czar for the past three and a half years, and we've seen no action on the border, other than this administration stopping any kind of progress that's actually going to bring some safety and security to this nation."
Harris's change in messaging on the border wall reflects a growing concern among Democrats about the political consequences of being seen as too progressive on immigration. Recent polls show that nearly 9 in 10 voters believe that the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border is an emergency or a major problem, a significant increase from earlier in the year.
Kamala Harris Flip-Flops on Border Wall Stance, Accused of Pandering
In an attempt to appeal to these voters, Harris has softened her stance on the border wall and pledged to support bipartisan legislation that would require hundreds of millions of unspent funds to be used on the project. However, her advisers insist that the bill does not provide additional funding for the wall, a claim that has been disputed by Republicans.
The issue of the border wall is likely to remain a contentious one in the run-up to the presidential election, with Republicans accusing Democrats of hypocrisy and Democrats arguing that the wall is ineffective and immoral. Harris's flip-flop on the issue has further fueled the debate and raised questions about her credibility on immigration.
