CNN’s Abby Phillip said Vice President Kamala Harris’ approach to immigration and other key issues is to “float above it all” and to avoid “some of the nitty-gritty details.”
Phillip made the comment during a panel discussion on her nightly news show “NewsNight” in which the participants debated the Harris campaign’s recent announcement that the vice president would pay a visit to the southern border to tout her credentials on the issue of immigration.
Immigration is seen as a strength for Harris’ Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, who polls show is more trusted by the public on the issue.
Resurfaced video also showed Harris demonstrating during a parade in Los Angeles in 2018. She is seen in the clip chanting, “Down, down with deportation.”
Phillip on CNN observed that Harris’ campaign had scheduled a “last-minute trip” to the southern border on Friday because the vice president and her aides realize she has to “do something” on immigration.
Her comments were reported by Mediaite.
“She’s hoping to change the narrative that she’s soft on immigration,” said Phillip, who added that public opinion polls showed that Trump was “better on the issue.”
Phillip then took the Harris campaign to task for trying to “float above” the problem.
“One of the things about this moment, I mean, the Harris campaign has just been trying to float above it all, to float above the immigration arguments, float above some of the nitty-gritty details on some of this policy,” the CNN host said.
“But this shows that they realized they have to do something.”
The Post has sought comment from the Harris campaign.
