When President Biden withdrew from this year's election, Kamala Harris appeared to be his opposite in many ways. Mr. Biden is from the Northeast, Harris California. Biden is older and Harris is in good health. While Biden is a Washington insider, Harris is a relative newcomer to Washington.
When Biden's poll numbers reached their lowest point, many thought Harris' personal differences made her the candidate who could beat Trump. But Harris has had little daylight with the Biden administration, especially on foreign policy.
What was asked ABC's “The View” If she were to act differently than Biden, Harris would be in trouble. “Nothing comes to mind,” she said.
That was a mistake. Beyond the obvious issue of working very closely with Mr. Biden when he has his full support; approval Ratings were languishing around 40%, and Harris should have used the opportunity to encourage others to distance themselves from her boss's foreign policy.
People think the world is less safe than it was four years ago. Many believe Biden is responsible for this. Among the 10 most commonly cited fears by Americans this year are: 6 cases related to international disputes. Last year there were four. In 2019, only. less than one-third of Americans approve of Biden's handling of foreign policy.
Ms. Harris' strategy for questions about foreign policy has been to contrast herself with Mr. Trump. This didn't work.
recent reports My colleagues and I showed that Trump has an eight-point lead over Harris among Americans in battleground states on the question of who will be the stronger foreign policy leader. Trump led the poll by a 16-point margin, saying he was “most likely to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine” and “most likely to respond effectively to China's invasion of Taiwan.”
The only foreign policy issue on which Harris had an advantage: on what Americans in battleground states call “most likely to send U.S. troops into an unnecessary war,” she leads Trump by 7 points. I was doing it. Trump also led by 7 points on the question of which candidate would respond more effectively to an alien invasion.
Nationally, the issue was even more divided, albeit by a narrow margin. Among voters in the battleground states that decided this election, Trump had a significant lead on foreign policy.
Ms. Harris did not respond to her candidate's weaknesses in international affairs with the urgency they deserved. When she came under fire for her close ranking with Biden on “The View,” she tried to defuse the situation during her remarks. fox news interview A week later.
“My presidency is not a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency,” Harris said. “And like every new president who takes office, I bring my own life experiences, professional experiences, and fresh new ideas to the table. I represent a new generation of leadership.”
But Harris did not specify how her global leadership would differ from Biden's. Most of her foreign policy comes from the Biden White House.
In a speech delivered with President Volodymyr Zelensky, harris said She will oppose any deal that would transfer Ukrainian territory to Russia. She went further, labeling any proposal to that effect “dangerous and unacceptable” and a “proposal of capitulation,” suggesting continuity with Biden's position on supporting Kiev.
my team vote It shows that 22% of independent voters say the response to Russian aggression is one of Biden's biggest foreign policy failures. Several respondents said they feared the conflict could escalate to nuclear or regional war. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Americans think the United States should promote a negotiated solution between Ukraine and Russia.
Regarding Israel, Harris received more coverage for what she didn't say than for what she said. inside her 60 minute interviewHarris expressed rhetorical sympathy for the Palestinians without attaching any conditions to U.S. support for Israel. Harris insisted the Biden administration would continue Biden's efforts without a cease-fire agreement. Clear support for Israel Trump suggested.
Harris' message upset both sides, According to my organization's poll. 28% of independent voters say the handling of Israel and Gaza is one of Biden's biggest foreign policy failures. A majority of Democrats and independents believe the United States should condition or end military aid to Israel. Meanwhile, several Republicans believe the United States must support Israel's war effort unconditionally.
For Tuesday, it is widely reported He noted that Arab Americans were leaving Harris in droves over Biden's handling of Israel, which may have cost her Michigan. Opinion polls also show that Harris and Trump are evenly matched. Georgia and Pennsylvaniaboth of which Trump ultimately won by less than 2.5 percentage points.
My team's report shows that Trump had an advantage in these states on foreign policy issues. Foreign policy has rarely been a top issue for Americans at the voting booth. End polling It ranked last among voters' priorities. But in a year where margins were razor-thin, it probably couldn't help Harris' chances.
Ransom Miller is a research associate at the Institute of International Studies.
