Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance escalated attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris Tuesday, accusing her of recycling former President Donald Trump’s policies as her own. Speaking at a campaign stop in Michigan, Vance mocked Harris for allegedly borrowing from Trump’s playbook.
“Kamala’s advisers are considering adopting all of Donald Trump’s policies,” Vance quipped. “I’ve heard that for her debate in a few weeks, she’s going to put on a navy suit, a long red tie, and adopt the slogan ‘Make America Great Again.’”
The jab echoed similar remarks by Trump, who just weeks earlier accused Harris of stalling on her economic agenda until he unveiled his. “She is waiting for me to announce it so she can copy it,” Trump said at a rally in North Carolina.
Parallel Proposals
Harris has faced criticism for rolling out campaign promises that closely resemble Trump’s. One example is her pledge in August to eliminate taxes on tipped wages—announced in Las Vegas two months after Trump made the same vow at the same location.
Trump quickly blasted her on Truth Social: “This was a TRUMP idea. She has no ideas, she can only steal from me.”
Vance also proposed expanding the Child Tax Credit to $5,000 per child during an Aug. 11 television appearance. Just five days later, Harris introduced her own plan to expand credits for families, including a $6,000 benefit for newborns and restoring pandemic-era enhancements.
Shifts on Key Issues
Beyond the overlap, Harris has drawn fire for softening or reversing earlier positions. Once a supporter of banning fracking, she now opposes such a ban—a shift with major implications for battleground states like Pennsylvania. She has also backed away from “Medicare for All” and mandatory buybacks of semiautomatic rifles, both positions she endorsed during her 2020 primary campaign.
On border security, critics note her support for bipartisan legislation that would have redirected unused Trump-era funds toward wall construction. While Harris’s campaign insists the bill authorized no new spending, Republicans argue it effectively extended Trump’s border wall policy.
Harris Campaign Response
In response to the criticism, a Harris campaign spokesperson highlighted her record of supporting family tax credits under the Biden administration, while contrasting her platform with Trump’s.
“Unlike Donald Trump and JD Vance, Vice President Harris supports abortion rights instead of ripping them away, cutting middle-class taxes instead of raising them, and bringing Americans together instead of dividing them,” the spokesperson said.
The clash underscores how both campaigns are jockeying for ownership of popular policy ground—while casting the other as insincere.
