The VP debate gives Walz the opportunity to ‘go on the offensive’ on immigration

Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz would be wise to go on the offensive on immigration as the Minnesota governor heads into his only debate with Ohio Sen. JD Vance, according to political analysts.

The vice presidential candidates face off in New York on Tuesday and some analysts say this debate could be important in the seven swing states expected to decide the presidential election. Vance, who called the showdown “pivotal” in a fundraising email Monday, will almost certainly use the session to continue the Trump campaign’s efforts to portray Harris and Walz as weak on illegal immigration.

Trump and Harris have exchanged views on the issue in recent days, with the vice president laying out her views on the issue in Arizona on Friday at a campaign event after touring part of the US-Mexico border.

The former president fired back Saturday at a rally in another battleground state, Wisconsin, claiming Harris had been the point person for the Biden administration’s immigration policy that allowed individuals here illegally “the people of to rape, plunder, steal, pillage and kill the state’. United States of America.” He continued to hammer Harris on the issue at a Sunday meeting in Pennsylvania.

At the Erie rally, Trump appeared to push for a purge of illegal immigrants: “A rough hour, and I mean really rough. The word will become known and it will end immediately.”

Some political analysts and strategists argue that Harris and Walz cannot afford for Trump and Vance to continue making such outlandish statements on the issue.

A former Republican lawmaker noted Sunday that the Democratic duo has closed ground in some state polls on the economy but would need to adjust their approach to do the same on immigration.

“I think I would have advised her to talk about the border earlier in her campaign and show that she recognizes that this is an important issue. I think she needs to show that she supports increasing security at the border – which she has done – and point out how her view differs from Trump’s view,” wrote Kim Fridkin, professor of political science at Arizona State University, Friday. e-mail.

The vice president took a step in that direction in Arizona on Friday, promising, if elected, to impose a five-year ban on people caught illegally crossing the US-Mexico border. These migrants would also be barred from seeking asylum in the United States.

“Our system must be orderly and secure,” Harris told his supporters in Douglas, pledging to “send” more personnel, training and technology to the border, and to “double” the Justice Department staff working behind drug cartels and others involved in the fentanyl trade.

A major hurdle for Harris and Walz on the eve of the debate is that perception is often reality.

“The Republican campaign has dubbed her the ‘immigration czar’ during the Biden administration despite her strong protests, (and) the perception that she broke the U.S. immigration system persists. This is especially true in border cities that have struggled to keep pace with rising immigrant numbers over the past year,” Lisa Sanchez, a professor of political science at the University of Arizona, said in an email Friday.

“Harris must make the case that she is empathetic to the border cities and governments and has a detailed plan to alleviate their problems,” she added. “Harris walks a tightrope with her base on immigration because she must maintain her position on the dignity and humanity of immigrants. This won’t be easy.”

The Trump camp continued their attacks during a Monday morning call with reporters.

“Tim Walz faces a tough task. He must overcome the barrier of convincing voters that the current vice president … bears no responsibility for the economic and immigration disasters she has created,” said Jason Miller, a senior Trump campaign adviser. “She could go back to the White House today and put into action every idea she proposed during her campaign. … It’s very difficult to turn the page when you’re the one who wrote the book.”

The former Republican lawmaker said Walz will likely try to push back on all of Vance’s immigration claims in Tuesday’s clash, adding that time is running out to change the narrative.

“Harris can’t avoid the issue of immigration because it’s important to voters, but she can increase people’s understanding of her position and how she would deal with the issue and whether people see her as able to get something done about the border,” the spokesperson said. said former MP.

One Democratic strategist agreed, claiming that polls show Harris and Walz closing some ground on immigration.

“Trump’s inability to gain a clear advantage on this divisive issue could reflect a response to the Republican Party’s overheated rhetoric on Haitian refugees in neighboring Ohio,” said strategist Brad Bannon.

For the Democratic duo, “the best defense … against immigration would be to go on the offensive,” Bannon said, adding that they should “challenge Trump on his opposition to (the) bipartisan congressional bill, backed by the administration, that would measures would have been imposed. restrictions on immigration.”

Harris did just that during her Friday stop in Arizona; a signal Walz will probably be equipped with similar lines on Tuesday.

For the Democratic candidates, Sanchez said “previous immigration policy positions have made it difficult … to move the issue toward a more moderate stance,” adding that the Harris-Walz camp “should make the case that it has deep concern for all parties involved. with the border crisis and that she wants to use her experiences meeting with border officials, border citizens and immigrants to create a workable system for all involved.

On the other hand, expect Vance to push through Trump’s proposals for a “mass deportation program” and strip the federal budget of any spending he could put forward to help people in the country illegally.

Notably, in Monday’s fundraising email, Vance appeared to lower expectations for the debate — and try to raise campaign money.

“No matter how badly I beat him, liberal megadonors will flood their campaign with millions in dirty dollars,” Vance said in the email. “It will be our BEST CHANCE to stem the tide of dark money being poured into Kamala’s war chest.”

The expectations management continued at Monday morning’s press conference, with Miller saying, “Tim Walz is very good at debates. … Tim Walz is a shrewd campaign veteran,” adding that the Trump camp expects the former House member and sitting governor to be “very polished.”