By the time that Kamala Harris took the stage to speak about her visit to the southern border tonight, the chyrons were at the ready. Her speech was billed as a major effort to make inroads on rival Donald Trump’s signature issue and one that is perhaps her greatest weakness as a candidate. All three cable news networks carried the speech.
Fox News, in the midst of Jesse Watters Primetime , went for some editorializing as Harris outlined her plans. “Why Hasn’t She Done This Yet?” it read. CNN’s read, “Harris Speaks At Southern Border, Taking Trump Head On.
” MSNBC’s read, “Harris Hits Trump For Killing Bipartisan Border Bill.” “It actually was a wide ranging and substantive speech from the policy end,” MSNBC’s Chris Hayes said just as Harris finished the 25-minute address, before going to guests with analysis. While the economy is the top issue for voters, per Pew Research , Trump supporters also put immigration at the top of the list, while Harris supporters cite abortion.
Harris’ decision visit to the border carried the risk of putting the Biden administration record in the spotlight, but also gave her the opportunity to try to turn the tables on her rival. Harris has spent a great deal of her campaign hammering Trump on the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, but she also has attacked him for killing a bipartisan border bill.
Trump came out against the legislation, all but ensuring that it would stall out in the Senate. In her speech tonight, Harris sai.