Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley predicts that Harris will emphasize her legal background to frame the race as a "prosecutor against the felon."
Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley has predicted that Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign will leverage her legal career to position the 2024 presidential race against former President Donald Trump as a contest between a "prosecutor against the felon."
Brinkley made the observation on CBS moments after President Biden announced that he would not seek re-election in November and endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.
Kamala Harris's Prosecutor Past to Play Central Role in 2024 Race Against Trump
"People will remember that Biden at the very end here, did the right thing getting out… it is a grueling campaign trail. It's just grueling. There was no way President Joe Biden could do seven speeches a day," Brinkley said. "This was not going to be staying in the White House or Camp David or Rehoboth. You can’t do a lockdown… you can't run like that. In the end, you did need somebody with more vigor and energy and Vice President Harris has shown that."
Brinkley further explained that Harris's campaign will highlight her time as a prosecutor and attorney general of California to portray her as a formidable opponent against Trump, who was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this year.
Kamala Harris's Prosecutor Past to Play Central Role in 2024 Race Against Trump
"Not just here at home, but she has been to 21 countries abroad and yet she is not known by a lot of Americans so there will be a new excitement of this notion of the prosecutor going against the felon," he said. "That is how the Harris-Biden team are going to position her and then on CBS News, you will be showing a lot of the clips of Senator Harris when she went after Kavanaugh and then after the bar on women's reproductive rights…it is the forte of Kamala Harris."
Harris has previously faced criticism for her record as a prosecutor during her 2020 presidential bid. However, her supporters believe that her legal experience will be an asset in the face of a candidate like Trump, who has been accused of numerous crimes.
Kamala Harris's Prosecutor Past to Play Central Role in 2024 Race Against Trump
Biden's decision to drop out of the race has left Harris as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. She has received endorsements from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as several Democratic lawmakers.
However, many Democrats, including former President Obama, have avoided endorsing Harris or even mentioning her in their statements on Biden's decision.
Despite these challenges, Democratic strategists believe that Harris is well-positioned to take on Trump in the upcoming election. They point to the fact that she was voted for by the same primary voters that chose Biden, and she has already established a campaign and fundraising infrastructure.
As the race heats up, Harris's legal background is expected to be a major focal point. Her supporters will seek to portray her as a tough prosecutor who can stand up to Trump, while her detractors will criticize her record as being too harsh and unfair.
