EXCLUSIVE: A wealthy external political committee supporting former President Trump’s campaign for the White House is focusing its attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris regarding border security issues.
“The country requires a commander-in-chief who is strict on illegal immigration. Kamala Harris does not meet that standard,” charges Art Del Cueto, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, in a new advertisement released by the Preserve America super PAC.
This advertisement, shared first with Fox News Digital on Friday, marks the latest campaign effort from the Trump campaign or its associated super PACs targeting Harris for being perceived as ineffective on border security—a concern many Republicans consider her political vulnerability.
HARRIS LEANS IN ON BORDER SECURITY AND TRUMP EMBRACES THE CONFLICT
Trump and his allies have criticized Harris consistently for nearly two weeks—following her assumption of President Biden’s position at the top of the Democrats’ national ticket—regarding the increase in migrant crossings at the southern border during Biden’s tenure.
Biden appointed Harris in 2021 to lead diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing the “root causes” of migration from Central America. This led to her being dubbed the “border czar” by the media and her Republican challengers, though the White House has disputed that label.
2024 AD WARS: TRUMP, HARRIS RACE TO DEFINE VICE PRESIDENT
Del Cueto—who has endorsed Trump and appeared alongside Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, at a campaign event on Thursday near the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona—refers to Harris as “Biden’s border czar” in the ad, which was filmed along the southern border.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, addresses the media during his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border in Hereford, Arizona, on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (Grace Trejo/Arizona Daily Star via AP)
“She backed sanctuary cities and taxpayer-funded benefits for undocumented immigrants. She is responsible for the most severe border crisis in U.S. history. Kamala Harris is a threat,” he asserted.
The advertisement also features a 2019 interview Harris did on “The View,” during her unsuccessful campaign for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, in which she stated, “We are not going to treat people who are undocumented crossing the border as criminals. That is correct.”
This marks the second consecutive ad from Preserve America criticizing Harris over border security. The group informed Fox News that it is investing a minimum of $10 million to air these advertisements from the Olympics through Labor Day in critical battleground states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Preserve America was established during Trump’s unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2020 and was revitalized this spring to assist the former president in his quest to reclaim the White House in 2024.
REPUBLICAN MEGA DONOR BACKING TRUMP-ALIGNED GROUP
Multi-billionaire Miriam Adelson, the dominant shareholder of the Las Vegas Sands casino empire, is financially supporting the super PAC’s initiatives, as confirmed by a source familiar with her plans to Fox News a few months ago.
Adelson and her late husband, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, contributed approximately $90 million to Preserve America four years ago. Sources suggest that the super PAC intends to increase its spending compared to its 2020 efforts on behalf of Trump.
Harris is pushing back against the border security criticisms while reinforcing her stance on the issue.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
“In this campaign, I will stand proudly beside my record in comparison to his,” Harris declared at a rally in Atlanta on Tuesday, highlighting her border security initiatives during her time as the California attorney general.
The vice president contended that Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, “has been all talk regarding border security, yet he does not follow through with action.”
She referenced a border security bill that enjoyed some bipartisan support earlier this year, which faltered after Republican resistance encouraged by Trump. “It was on track to pass, but at the last moment, Trump instructed his allies in the Senate to vote it down,” Harris explained.
She accused the former president of “sinking the bipartisan proposal because he believed it would assist his election campaign” and vowed that “as president, I will revive the border security legislation that Donald Trump undermined.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and migrants at the southern border. ( (Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images and Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images))
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The Trump campaign quickly reacted on social media to the vice president’s comments made during her rally.
“Kamala is genuinely *BRAGGING* about her immigration record. HERE ARE THE FACTS: As the Border Czar, Kamala transported over 15 million undocumented individuals directly into our communities. She believes illegal immigration ‘is NOT a crime.’ She wants to eliminate ICE. She thinks you’re naive,” declared the Trump campaign.
Earlier in the day, the Trump campaign launched its inaugural major ad campaign for the general election, asserting that Harris had “let us down” in securing the border.
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