Kamala Harris’ New Message to Republicans: Trump is Weak on Foreign Affairs
WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris is following Nikki Haley’s strategy by criticizing former President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, aiming to attract Republicans and independents who are unhappy with the current GOP leadership.
Harris’ campaign has launched an advertisement featuring ex-members of Trump’s national security team who portray him as a “danger to our troops and our democracy,” asserting that he is unfit to hold office again.
In a recent presidential debate, Harris claimed that America’s European allies and NATO are relieved that Trump is no longer in power. She referenced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, warning that under Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin “would be sitting in Kyiv, eyeing the rest of Europe, starting with Poland.”
She also specifically reached out to the over 700,000 Polish Americans residing in crucial Pennsylvania.
This focus on foreign policy aligns with the Harris campaign’s strategy to appeal to voters who supported Haley— a former U.N. ambassador with a strong emphasis on foreign policy during her campaign—in the recent Republican primary.
On the other hand, Trump has criticized Harris’s foreign policy, arguing that if he were in office, ongoing wars would not exist because he is perceived as a strong leader. He has labeled the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as a “humiliation,” claiming it undermined America’s credibility worldwide.
“I will resolve every international crisis that this administration has caused, including the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which would have never occurred under my presidency,” he stated during his speech at the Republican National Convention in July. “The war that started with the attack on Israel would also not have happened if I were president.”
Despite her criticisms of Trump, Harris hasn’t extensively discussed her foreign policy plans on the campaign trail, aside from her Democratic National Convention speech and remarks during the presidential debate.
Her campaign website elaborates on her commitments, stating that Harris would “enhance, not abandon, our global leadership” and advocate for American interests against threats from China and Iran-backed entities considered terrorists.
Previously, foreign policy was seen as one of Harris’ weaknesses, as she did not serve on the Foreign Affairs committee during her partial Senate term and her record on issues like migration origins and engaging with Central American leaders is varied.
She quickly worked to increase her foreign engagements in her first year as vice president, visiting 21 countries and meeting over 150 world leaders, according to her team.
Currently, both her campaign and former U.S. officials, including Republicans from the last administration, are using foreign policy to bolster her credentials and criticize Trump.
“Many Republican voters, myself included, find it concerning that Donald Trump praises figures like Viktor Orban from Hungary,” Olivia Troye, a former official from the Trump administration, stated to YSL News.
In late August, over 200 former officials from the administrations of George W. Bush, John McCain, and Mitt Romney endorsed Harris. Additionally, more than 100 national security Republican leaders supported Harris this past Wednesday. Notably, former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, Liz Cheney, who previously served in the House, also endorsed her. Troye, a past homeland security adviser to Mike Pence, spoke during the Democratic National Convention.
A majority of Americans favor ongoing support, but a Pew survey from May indicated that 49% of Republicans think the U.S. is providing too much assistance.
Rick Wilson, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, a collective of moderate conservatives and ex-Republicans, asserts that Harris has been successful in cornering Trump regarding national security and foreign policy, emphasizing his relationships with authoritarian figures and presenting him as the less competent candidate.
“She’s presenting herself as a national security centrist. This stance would resonate with many Republicans from the 80s and 90s,” Wilson told YSL News.
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta remarked to YSL News that every modern American president, save for one, has engaged the U.S. in global leadership and alliance-building, highlighting Trump’s deviation from this legacy.
“This explains the significant support we’re receiving from Republicans, as they recognize the vice president’s commitment to our alliances and global democracy,” Harris’ national Republican engagement director, Austin Weatherford, commented.
Republicans Divided Over Trump and Harris
John Bolton, a former national security advisor under Trump and now a critic of the former president, stated he will not vote for Harris.
Although many of Haley’s supporters were traditional Republicans and independents who distanced themselves from Trump, some anti-Trump Republicans are considering writing in a candidate from their party instead of voting for Harris.
“I genuinely believe that neither candidates exhibit the competence required for the presidency,” Bolton remarked.
Supporters of Haley are still deciding their options for the upcoming election.
Munir Lalani, a registered Republican from Texas who formerly backed Haley, stated he remains “undecided” about participating in the election.
Lalani, who voted for Trump in 2020, noted that the Capitol riot on January 6 was a key reason for his current lack of support for Trump. However, he isn’t impressed by Harris either.
“There is a lot of confusion. Israel is uncertain about whether they can rely on us,” Lalani shared with YSL News.
He added, “The U.S. cannot be the safety net for everyone,” he stated.
While some of Bolton’s former colleagues from the Bush administration, where he served as the U.N. ambassador, publicly support Harris, he pointed out to YSL News that “many more former colleagues have chosen to support Trump.”
“They aren’t making public statements about it,” he noted.
The highest-profile Trump defector, former Vice President Pence, has also refrained from endorsing either candidate. He mentioned that he would not be participating in the election due to the “growing abandonment of our allies on the world stage,” which he believes reflects poorly on his former partner.
Harris Accused of Equivocating on Israel-Gaza Conflict
Trump is attempting to reclaim support by portraying Harris as lacking pro-Israel credentials in this closely contested race.
During a debate, he claimed she despises Israel and suggested that the Hamas attack wouldn’t have occurred if he were still in office.
“She’s the cause of this issue,” he asserted. Furthermore, he criticized President Joe Biden and Harris, saying, “Other country’s leaders view them as weak and inept.”
Republican Congressman Mike Lawler, a Trump supporter on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, contended that Harris’s depiction of Trump as weak on foreign policy is an example of “projection.”
“During Trump’s presidency, global conflicts were minimal, and border crossings decreased. The current circumstances speak volumes,” he asserted to YSL News. “Under Biden and Kamala Harris, the global situation has become extremely unstable, the most precarious since World War II due to their failed appeasement strategies.”
Lawler also highlighted the “disastrous” U.S.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. service members in the closing days of the conflict. The withdrawal agreement was established by the Trump administration, and Biden chose to proceed with it.
During the debate between Trump and Harris, she sidestepped a question about her accountability for the withdrawal, instead expressing her endorsement of President Biden’s choice to exit.
“Four presidents pledged they would, and Joe Biden followed through,” she stated.
Additionally, she made an incorrect claim in the debate by stating there were no American troops stationed in international “combat” zones. The U.S. currently has about 1,000 soldiers in Syria and approximately 2,500 in Iraq, as reported by the U.S. Department of Defense. Both regions are engaged in ongoing low-intensity conflicts.
Regarding Israel’s conflict with Hamas, Lawler described the administration as “very weak and unpredictable.”
Lawler highlighted her backing of Biden’s decision in May to halt the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel due to concerns about their use in Gaza’s densely populated areas, interpreting it as an example of an “arms embargo” against Israel.
“Kamala Harris has been attempting to present a balanced view of the situation in Gaza,” Lawler remarked.
Harris has consistently stated her opposition to an arms embargo on Israel, emphasizing in a DNC speech that she sympathizes with the Palestinian people while also supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas militants, who have killed over 1,200 Israelis and taken around 250 hostages. The Hamas-controlled Gazan Health Ministry reports that more than 40,000 Palestinians have died in the subsequent conflict.
For Republicans who favor traditional American foreign policy, Harris’ perspective on America’s global role resonates more with the views of former Republican President Ronald Reagan than the America First stance championed by Trump.
“If you compare Trump’s foreign policy speeches to those of Harris, a Reagan Republican would likely conclude that Harris aligns more closely with their views than Trump does,” remarked former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who ran against Trump in the GOP primary.
Hutchinson attended the DNC and acknowledged that Harris has made “notable progress” regarding national security and that the administration has maintained a steady course on its policies regarding Ukraine and Israel. However, he expressed that he cannot support Harris, questioning her dedication to a centrist economic strategy, which remains the primary concern for voters in this election.
The Harris campaign pointed out that she has improved her appeal to undecided voters, but there is still more work ahead.
“We believe there are many Republicans who will resonate with the vice president,” Weatherford stated. “We will engage with those voters daily leading up to the election.”
Francesca Chambers and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy serve as White House Correspondents for YSL News. You can follow them on Twitter at @fran_chambers and @SwapnaVenugopal.