File photo: JD Vance and Kamala Harris (Picture credit: AP)
US Vice President JD Vance delivered a scathing assessment of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, saying listening to her left him feeling “dumber in the process” and calling her political messaging devoid of substance.Speaking with Laura Ingraham on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle on Friday, Vance responded to Harris’ new memoir, 107 Days, in which she recounts her brief presidential run following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race. Harris reportedly blamed the limited campaign window for her loss, a claim that drew sharp criticism from Vance.“My reaction is if you look at the polling, both the public and the private polling, the problem is not that Kamala’s campaign was too short, it’s that it was too long,” Vance said. “That when people actually listened to what she had to say, her polling went down and down and down. I think that if we had had a 150-day campaign, we probably would have had three additional Republican senators, and Donald Trump would have won by an even bigger landslide. Because the more people know about Kamala Harris, the more they realize there’s no substance there”, he added. Vance contrasted Harris with past Democratic figures, noting that former US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton could articulate clear viewpoints. “Agree or disagree with Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, they actually had substance. They could actually articulate a viewpoint. I listened to Kamala Harris for 90 seconds, and I actually feel like I’ve gotten dumber in the process, and I have no idea what she actually believes,” he said.The vice president continued, warning that Harris’ challenges would persist unless she learned to clearly develop and communicate a viewpoint. “That’s the problem with Kamala Harris, and it’s gonna continue to be her problem unless she actually learns how to develop a viewpoint, articulate it for the American people. Just say what you actually believe. Don’t do this word salad, talking around in circles. It doesn’t work, and it’s why she didn’t win,” Vance said.Harris’ media tour following the release of 107 Days has reignited debate over her campaign strategy and public speaking style. Critics have noted her tendency to provide vague or convoluted answers during interviews, including a controversial 60 Minutes segment on the Israel-Hamas conflict that required clarification after editing issues, as per the Daily Caller.During the 2024 election, Trump won 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226 and narrowly missed a majority of the popular vote. Post-election analyses revealed that Harris underperformed in several swing states and counties that previously favoured Biden, highlighting the campaign’s challenges in connecting with voters.
