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Former Harris Official Blasts Kamala Over Economic Speech: ‘Nothing New’

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


The former communications director to Vice President Kamala Harris said that her speech on the economy Wednesday was “nothing novel” or “fresh,” “new,” and added that the VP’s campaign needs to “take greater risk.”

During an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Ashley Etienne was asked about former President Donald Trump’s threat of placing more tariffs on imports, which he did during his first term, as well as Harris’ economic policies which, so far, have consisted primarily of raising corporate taxes, taxes on wealthier Americans, and unfunded giveaways.

Specifically, Etienne responded that Harris should try to “remind people that your life was not better under Donald Trump,” despite the fact that Americans have dealt with record-high inflation, high interest rates, and rising food and gasoline costs for the duration of the Biden-Harris administration.

“I felt like there was absolutely nothing novel about what happened today,” Etienne added about Harris’ economic speech in Pittsburgh, going on to say that her observations were “a little critical” of her former boss.

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“I mean to give an economic speech at an economic club in Pittsburgh, I mean there’s nothing about that that feels fresh, new.”

“My point is to her and her team…the only way you can beat Donald Trump is you’ve got to take greater risk,” Etienne said, noting that Latino and Black men, as an example, may not “have heard themselves” in her speech, Newsweek reported. “What I know about the Vice President is she actually sees people, and they need to put that on display.”

In her speech, Harris discussed her policy initiatives, including tax breaks for the middle class, reductions in the cost of childcare and elder care, and expanding access to paid leave for working individuals. She also emphasized how her policies contrast with those of Donald Trump, though Trump and a Republican Congress passed the biggest tax cuts in generations for most Americans and corporations in 2017.

“The American people face a choice between two fundamentally very different paths for our economy. I intend to chart a new way forward and grow America’s middle class,” Harris said without laying out how her policies would curb the current inflationary cycle or reduce prices.

Harris went on to falsely claim that Trump wanted to raise taxes on the middle class after he has repeatedly introduced tax-cutting priorities, including wiping out income taxes on tips and overtime. Harris has since said she, too, would work to eliminate income taxes on tips after Trump introduced it.

“Her economic message faces a unique challenge: she must balance speaking to the broader electorate while distinguishing her approach from the current administration,” political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek.

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“While her former communications director’s point about taking greater risks may hold some truth, the real key to earning voters’ trust lies in articulating a clear, actionable vision that connects with their everyday concerns,” he continued. “She needs to emphasize how her policies directly impact families’ wallets and livelihoods as well as practical solutions for inflation, jobs, and cost-of-living increases. Winning trust requires not just bold rhetoric but a commitment to addressing the tangible issues people are feeling.”

The economy continues to be a crucial issue for voters, but recent actions by the Federal Reserve, which reduced interest rates by half a percentage point last week, did little to shift perceptions. According to Wednesday’s Economist/YouGov poll, 49% of respondents believe the economy is worsening, a slight increase from the 47% who felt this way in the previous week’s survey. The poll surveyed 1,622 people, including 1,424 registered voters.

Nearly every survey for most of the past year has found that the vast majority of those polled believe Trump will handle the economy much better than Harris.

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