Bernie Sanders on Harris' flip-flops: 'She's trying to be pragmatic'
During her failed Democratic primary race four years ago, Vice President Kamala Harris took far-left stances on a number of issues.
However, some of her own party's more radical members have admitted that she is attempting to delete her previous positions.
"She's trying to be pragmatic"
According to Fox News, that acknowledgment was made by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders this past weekend during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press."
This might be the most damaging clip of the election for Kamala
Bernie Sanders says she is NOT abandoning her Socialist ideals
“No I don’t think she’s abandoning her ideals. I think she’s… doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election” pic.twitter.com/EYpRfkLHkF
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 8, 2024
"She has previously supported Medicare-For-All, now she does not," NBC News anchor Kristen Welker was quoted as saying to Sanders.
"She's previously supported a ban on fracking, now she does not. These, senator, are ideas that you have campaigned on," Welker continued before asking, "Do you think she is abandoning her progressive ideals?"
Vice president no longer favors ban on plastic straws
While Sanders did not deny Harris had altered her positions, he was quick to deny that the vice president is "abandoning her ideals."
"I think she's trying to be pragmatic and doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election," the self-described democratic socialist declared.
Meanwhile, Axios contributor Alex Thompson pointed out in an article published last week that one Harris' latest reversal is tied to the issue of plastic straws.
"I think we should," the then-California senator was quoted as saying at a CNN town hall event when asked whether she thought plastic straws should be outlawed. Harris added, "We do need to ban the plastic."
Yet when asked for comment, a Harris campaign official has told Axios that getting rid of plastic straws is no longer part of the vice president's agenda.
Harris promises to finish border wall after previously mocking it
Meanwhile, Fox News recalled late last month how Harris once mockingly called Trump's push to build a wall along America's southern border a "vanity project" which she would not support "under any circumstance."
What's more, Harris asserted in a 2020 social media post that "Trump’s border wall is a complete waste of taxpayer money and won’t make us any safer."
Despite this, the Democratic Party's nominee has since said she would both resume wall construction while adopting a generally more hawkish stance regarding immigration.