Republican leaders are accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of inconsistent views after she expressed her backing for a proposed immigration plan that aims to enhance the U.S. southern border wall.

During her speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, Harris stated her intention to approve such legislation if she were to become president. This proposal had previously stumbled in the Senate earlier this year and was developed jointly by the Biden-Harris administration in collaboration with congressional Republicans, marking one of the more stringent strategies addressing illegal immigration seen lately.

Senator James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma who played a significant role in crafting the legislation, slammed Harris for what he termed a “flip-flop.” He mentioned to Axios, “It requires the Trump border wall,” referencing clauses in the bill that align with standards established during the Trump administration, including details regarding the wall’s construction and design. Lankford’s office also confirmed that the agreement allocates $650 million for the wall, which is a notably less amount compared to the $18 billion that President Donald Trump had sought in 2018.

While serving as Vice President, Harris had previously supported the expansion of the border wall, which was a shift from her earlier position as a Senator from California, where she labeled the wall as a “medieval vanity project” and pledged to block its funding. Back in 2019, she dismissed the initiative, and in early 2020 criticized it on social media as a “complete waste of taxpayer money.”

Trump allies echo Lankford’s criticisms of Harris’ position

The Trump campaign has taken aim at Harris’ recent comments, with Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary for Trump’s campaign, chastising her for sidestepping direct interviews and using staff to address the matter. “It’s DAY 37 of ZERO interviews, and Kamala’s anonymous campaign sources are now claiming she supports President Trump’s border wall—this is a bizarre and false assertion,” Leavitt stated.

Trump’s senior advisor, Jason Miller, dismissed the claims as “complete nonsense,” asserting that Harris “hasn’t changed her stance on anything,” as reported by Fox News.

“Harris opposes the wall, has always opposed the wall, and halted construction as Vice President,” he affirmed.

Former President Donald Trump has also made border security a primary focus, heavily influencing the current discussions around it. Earlier this year, Senate Republicans followed Trump’s example and dismissed a bipartisan border security proposition introduced by Senators James Lankford, Kyrsten Sinema, and Chris Murphy.

Trump remarked on the defeat of the bill, stating, “I think we killed it. I think it’s dead! But you can never be too sure because unfavorable bills often resurface; these folks profit significantly from subpar legislation.”