In an interview this week, Vice President Kamala Harris’ spokesperson Michael Tyler refused to backtrack her support for decriminalizing fentanyl and taxpayer-funded so-called “gender affirming” surgeries for illegal aliens.
Tyler made the remarks in an interview with ABC ahead of Harris’ debate against former President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening.
In the interview, Tyler was asked about a CNN report that broke this week that showed the Harris filled out a questionnaire from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) showing support for “sweeping reductions” to Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) operations, as well as support for decriminalizing federal drug possession for personal use.
“I do want to ask you about this CNN report. It shows Harris voiced support for cutting funding for ICE and for taxpayer money to fund transgender surgery for detained migrants in 2019. Does the vice president still support those positions and do you expect them to address them tonight?” Diane Macedo asked Tyler.
“Listen, I think these old questionnaires are a complete distraction from the task at hand right now, and frankly what the American people are actually asking about, right?” Tyler responded condescendingly.
“What the American people are concerned about and what they’re asking about is who is going to solve border security,” he said.
🚨 Harris spokesman Michael Tyler REFUSES to walk back Kamala's support for decriminalizing fentanyl and taxpayer-funded transition surgeries of illegal immigrants pic.twitter.com/WW7ofZpHbs
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 10, 2024
Harris has u-turned on several issues lately, namely, border security. Though, she failed miserably in recent years as President Joe Biden’s so-called “border czar.”
In an interview with CNN last year, Harris said that some of her views have changed over time.
“My values have not changed,” she also said in the interview (via CNN):
The ACLU questionnaire, which was sent to all Democratic and Republican candidates during the 2020 presidential campaign, provides a clear record of Harris’ progressive stances. Some candidates did not respond to the questionnaire, including Joe Biden.
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The Harris campaign did not answer questions from CNN on whether she continued to support these positions and instead provided a statement attributable only to an unnamed “Harris campaign advisor” saying, “The Vice President’s positions have been shaped by three years of effective governance as part of the Biden-Harris Administration.”
They declined to elaborate on what her positions were.
Harris and Trump will have their first debate Tuesday evening. Last debate, between Trump and Biden, marked the beginning of the end of Biden in the presidential race.