CNN's Scott Jennings criticized Vice President Kamala Harris after her visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday. He compared the move to an "arsonist" returning to the scene of a "crime." Jennings described it as a desperate political act.
Harris visited a border section in Douglas, Arizona. For years, she and President Biden have faced accusations of opening the border to migrants. Now, as the Democratic ticket leader, Harris promises to get tough on illegal crossings.
On CNN’s AC360, Jennings labeled the visit a "tactical mistake." He argued it would remind voters of the millions of migrants who entered under her watch.
Anderson Cooper asked Van Jones about potential political fallout from Harris's visit. Jones responded, suggesting Republicans might be pleased. He thought Harris achieved what the GOP wanted: action on the border.
Jones predicted that Jennings might approve of Harris’s efforts. He mentioned how she separated herself from Biden on the issue, indicating a shift in strategy.
Jennings responded:
I love brother Van, as he knows, I mean that, I love him like a brother, but no. There’ll be there’ll be no love from me or Republicans for Kamala Harris today. In fact, I think the Trump campaign line today ought to be “arsonist returns to the scene of crime.” I mean, look at the last three-and-a-half years, we’ve got– the border is effectively been opened. People flowing across. ICE today released information that there are 13,000 noncitizens convicted of homicide and almost 16,000 noncitizens convicted of some kind of sexual crime who are in the country right now.
Only because we’re in the shadow of an election is Kamala Harris trying to rush and pay some lip service to this issue as a tactical matter, Anderson. I don’t think Harris should be trying to elevate this issue because this is the best ground from which Donald Trump has to fight. So no, I think the Harris campaign is making a tactical mistake and I think they have very little to say that the American people are going to buy on this today.