The latest development in the ongoing saga of the 2020 US Presidential Election came on Thursday, September 10, when the Trump campaign launched a scathing immigration-focused ad attacking Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The ad, which runs for a minute and a half, sought to portray Harris as an extremist who supports open borders and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The ad opens with footage of protestors carrying Abolish ICE signs and chanting slogans against the agency. As the visuals play, a voiceover accuses Harris of advocating for the dismantling of ICE and supporting policies that would lead to an influx of illegal immigrants across the border. The narrator goes on to claim that Harris backs sanctuary cities and legislation providing free healthcare to undocumented immigrants.
Drawing on Harris’s past statements and actions, the ad highlights her support for decriminalizing illegal border crossings and granting driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. The Trump campaign frames these positions as evidence of Harris’s radical agenda on immigration, warning viewers that a Biden-Harris administration would compromise national security and open the floodgates to illegal immigrants.
Furthermore, the ad criticizes Harris for opposing President Trump’s travel ban on individuals from several Muslim-majority countries and his efforts to secure the southern border with a border wall. It argues that under a Biden-Harris presidency, the country would be exposed to increased threats from potential terrorists and criminal elements who exploit weak immigration policies.
In response to the ad, the Biden campaign promptly hit back, accusing the Trump team of resorting to fear-mongering and misinformation tactics to distract from the administration’s failures on immigration policy. They defended Harris’s record, emphasizing her commitment to comprehensive immigration reform, protecting Dreamers, and ensuring humane treatment of migrants at the border.
The Trump campaign’s decision to launch an ad specifically targeting Kamala Harris on immigration underscores the importance of the issue in the upcoming election. Immigration has long been a contentious and polarizing topic in American politics, and both parties are keen to leverage it to mobilize their respective bases and attract swing voters.
As the campaign intensifies in the remaining weeks leading up to November 3, we can expect to see more ads and messaging focused on immigration from both sides. The Trump campaign’s attack on Kamala Harris is just the latest salvo in what promises to be a fiercely contested battle for the White House, with immigration policy occupying a prominent place in the narrative.
