EXCLUSIVE — As Kamala Harris steamrolls her way toward the Democratic nomination, Republicans are now shifting their attacks to tie vulnerable Democrats to some of the vice president’s most unpopular policy stances.
In a new ad being debuted by the National Republican Congressional Committee on Thursday, House Republicans are tying their Democratic opponents to Harris as they seek to paint the vice president as an “extreme” candidate. The ad comes as Republicans race to define Harris as a challenger just days after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.
The ad features video clips of Harris stating her policy positions on issues such as defunding the police and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement followed by comments from Democratic lawmakers amplifying similar positions — arguing the vulnerable incumbents are “just as extreme” as Harris.
The ad also features clips of top Democrats endorsing Harris as the party’s nominee, which Republicans are now seeking to use against candidates running in competitive House districts.
“Extreme House Democrats JUMPED to endorse San Francisco liberal Kamala Harris because they relished at the idea of their shared ultra-leftist policies coming to fruition,” NRCC rapid response director Macy Gardner said in a statement. “Little do they know, the American people don’t want to defund the police, ban fracking, increase illegal migrant crossings and have higher inflation. Voters will send them packing in November.”
The ad comes as Republicans seek to shift their attacks from Biden, who dropped out of the presidential race Sunday, to Harris, the front-runner to replace the president at the top of the ticket.
Republicans have especially targeted Harris on the border crisis after Biden tapped her early on in his term to oversee coordination with Central American countries that were considered top points of origin of migrants to the U.S. southern border. At the time, Harris was unofficially coined the “border czar” by Republicans and several news outlets — a moniker now being rejected by the White House as an official title.
House Republicans have seized on that criticism, passing a resolution on Thursday condemning Harris for what they consider a “failure to secure the southern border” during record-high illegal immigration over the last three years.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Harris is facing an impeachment effort from Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), who is seeking to charge the vice president with high crimes and misdemeanors due to “extraordinary incompetence in the execution of her duties and responsibilities” related to immigration. Ogles filed his impeachment articles Tuesday, although it is unclear when or if they will be brought to the floor for a vote.
Harris has not yet formally replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket, although the vice president is presumed to receive all his delegates during the party’s nominating convention next month.