Awkward Moment at White House Press Briefing Over Kamala Harris’ Achievements
In a recent press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre faced a tense moment when asked about Vice President Kamala Harris’s most notable accomplishments. The question came as the Vice President, now the newly nominated Democratic presidential candidate, has yet to hold a press conference since securing the nomination. During the briefing, a reporter pressed Jean-Pierre to specify a particular policy achievement Harris has delivered.
Jean-Pierre’s response began with praise for the working relationship between President Biden and Vice President Harris, noting that their achievements had been “done together” as a team. She referenced President Biden’s own words about Harris being one of his “proudest decisions” during his 2020 campaign. However, she avoided providing a specific policy achievement, leaving the reporter unsatisfied.
The reporter followed up, asking whether there was no specific policy to point to or if it was more of a “comprehensive whole.” Jean-Pierre repeated her earlier remarks, stating it was indeed a “comprehensive whole.”
The exchange comes as Harris faces mounting scrutiny for her handling of key issues like illegal immigration. She was tasked by President Biden to address the “root causes” of immigration but has since been criticized by various sectors for her approach to the border crisis.
Polls Show Tight Race Between Trump and Harris
Meanwhile, recent polling data paints a challenging picture for Harris. A Fox News poll reveals that former President Donald Trump has edged ahead of Harris by a razor-thin margin, 50-49%. This margin falls within the poll’s margin of error, suggesting a tightly contested race. Notably, last month’s results showed a nearly identical 48-49% margin, with both Harris and Biden trailing Trump by one point.
Since the previous poll, several major political events have taken place. Trump survived an assassination attempt, chose Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, and formally accepted the Republican nomination at the GOP convention. On the Democratic side, Harris replaced Biden on the ticket after he stepped down from the race in July.
The poll also highlights Harris’ slight edge in support among Democrats, with 94% of the party backing her, compared to 93% of Republicans supporting Trump. Independent voters, however, lean toward Trump by 8 points. Interestingly, new voters who did not participate in the last four elections are evenly split between the two candidates, a notable shift from last month, when Trump held a 7-point advantage over Biden.
Gender Divide and Voter Sentiment
One key takeaway from the poll is the stark gender divide. Men favor Trump by 12 points, while women favor Harris by 10, a gender gap of 22 points. Both candidates are tied at 45% in an expanded ballot, with 6% of voters supporting third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Despite this tight race, Harris holds a slight advantage in personal likability, with 48% of voters viewing her favorably compared to 47% for Trump. However, both candidates are underwater in terms of net favorability, with Harris at -3 and Trump at -6. These represent improvements for both, as last month’s numbers showed Harris with a -10 and Trump with a -12 net rating.
As the race continues to evolve, these figures suggest that Harris may be struggling to break through with a clear policy win, while Trump’s continued resilience in the polls shows the potential for a closely fought election come November.