For Kamala Harris, vice president of an unpopular president, and Donald Trump, an almost equally unpopular former president, change is in the air.
A New York Times/Sienna College poll released this week found that Harris now leads Trump by a margin of 46% to 44% when asked which candidate “represents change.” And while that perception could ultimately help decide who wins the 2024 election in a year when only 22% of voters say they are satisfied “with the way things are going in the United States right now,” defining what change means not proven. so easy for both.
Harris on her own
During an interview Tuesday on “The View,” Harris, whose campaign slogan “We’re Not Going Back” portrays her as an agent of change, was asked if she would have done anything differently than President Biden over the past four years.
“There’s nothing that comes to mind, in terms of, and I’ve been part of most of the decisions that have had an impact,” Harris responded before adding that, unlike Biden, she would appoint a Republican to a Cabinet. position if elected.
Lost in the weeds of her answer is the fact that Harris had unveiled on the show a new policy proposal to expand Medicare benefits to cover the costs of home care for America’s rapidly aging population.
All vice presidents aspiring to become president must grapple with how to differentiate themselves from their former running mates, especially those running for a concurrent term with the administration in which they just served. Harris has refrained from criticizing Biden, leaving her open to criticism from voters looking to turn the page. Of course, if she wins in November, Harris would immediately distinguish herself as the first female president in American history. Her relative youth — she is also 22 years younger than Biden and 19 years younger than Trump — would also provide a marked contrast to the last two occupants of the White House.
There is little argument that Harris, when she replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, re-energized her party and dramatically changed the trajectory of the race. But an ABC/Ipsos poll released Friday found that by a margin of 74%-22% of voters from both parties said they would like to see Harris “take a new direction as president instead of the administration’s policies -Biden to continue.” The same poll found that 65% of voters believe Harris will continue Biden’s policies, while 33% said she would take a different path.
Trump, take 2
It is equally difficult for Trump to portray himself as the candidate for change. On Monday, Trump was interviewed by Fox News host Laura Ingrahamwho asked him how he would restore confidence in the American justice system, given criticism that he plans to use it to take revenge on his political opponents.
“Well, a lot of people say this is what has to happen if you want to know the truth,” Trump said, drawing supportive cheers from his audience.
Ingraham egged him on again, saying, “You know, the punitive use of government institutions is what got us into this mess in the first place,” before quoting Trump: “My revenge will be my success.”
“Yes, I believe so,” Trump replied.
In many ways, Trump, whose unchanged “Make America Great Again” slogan harkens back to an indefinite period in American history, is once again doubling down on what the country experienced during his first term.
He has promised higher tariffs, bigger tax cuts, even more resistance to NATO and the largest deportation program in American history.
In the wake of Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention in July, Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation and one of the lead authors of Project 2025, a blueprint for the next Republican administration, told the Wall Street Journal that Trump “ learned a lot.”
“I think this will be an administration that will be very efficient,” he added.
Like Harris, Trump is underwater in the ABC News/Ipsos poll when it comes to those who want him to change the way he governs if elected to a second term (53%) versus those who think he will will do (33%). In other words, while voters desire change, they are also somewhat dubious about it happening to these candidates.
