With the withdrawal of United States President Joe Biden from the election race, Kamala Harris has become the new candidate of the Democrats. Harris, who has been serving as the vice president of the Biden government since 2021, held her first campaign rally in Philadelphia and nominated Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the vice presidential position.
At the introduction rally, Harris described Walz as a “leader, patriot and the vice president that America deserves” and stated that his current administrative experience prepared him for the role. The Philadelphia rally was very important in terms of introducing Walz to the public and his active participation in the campaign. Harris emphasized Walz’s respect for modern views and human rights and drew attention to the fact that Republicans restrict personal rights despite using similar rhetoric. With this message, it was stated that the campaign as a battle is not only against Trump, but for the future of America. Walz, on the other hand, accused Republican Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance of not representing the “real Middle America” and announced that the Harris-Walz team would fight for freedom and middle-class families.[i]
Walz’s announcement as Vice President was generally received positively by the public. He was viewed by voters as a candidate with positive characteristics which contributed to the Harris-Walz duo to be called a strong team. The increase in campaign donations for the election within the first 24 hours of the announcement was an indication of this positive reaction, and this situation was also observed in other rallies.
In order to see Harris’s possible presidency, it is important to focus on her work as Vice President since 2021. Examining Harris’ attitude in global conflicts and times of crisis will help interpret her possible presidency. According to allegations, Harris had more say in the government than President Biden and spent a vice presidency period where she practically served as a “regent”. The attitude she displayed in foreign policy between 2021-2024 was not sharp, but striking. Considering that she had an effective vice presidency, Harris is expected to largely continue the policies of the Biden era.
During her vice presidency, Harris consistently supported Ukraine against Russian aggression. At the Munich Security Conference in February 2022, Harris met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and told him that a Russian attack was inevitable and that Ukraine should focus on war preparations. Zelensky demanded preventive sanctions and more weapons, but Harris rejected these demands.[ii] At the time, Harris’ aim was to unite Europe against a possible Russian attack and to explain the policy the US would follow against Russia. However, Zelensky and Harris could not reach a full agreement, which shook Ukraine’s trust in the US.
Harris’s role has been overshadowed by other top officials such as U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and has been more of a complementary position. Therefore, it is very difficult to say how the Harris-Zelensky relationship will develop.[iii] Harris may hold meetings with other heads of state to unite Europe against Russia and may pursue a proactive policy on this issue. Harris, who gave signals that she would pursue such a policy in June, represented the U.S. at the Ukraine Peace Summit, where she held her sixth meeting with Zelenski. At the summit, Harris expressed strong support for transatlantic cooperation in supporting Kiev.
Following the Hamas-Israel War that began on October 7, 2023, Harris claimed that the response given for the attacks was justified, that Israel was legitimately defending itself, and therefore made statements supporting Israel. However, due to the escalation of events and public pressure, she changed her statements and called for the protection of innocent civilians.
In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington in July 2024, Harris expressed serious concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, called for a ceasefire and emphasized that the war must be ended, all hostages must be released safely and the rights of Palestinians must be protected. Harris, who did not deviate from Biden’s “strong support” for Israel but also took a very clear stance on ending the war, made the following statements:[iv]
“Images of dead children and hungry people desperately fleeing for their safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time… We cannot turn our eyes away from these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become insensitive to the suffering, and I will not remain silent.”
These words of Harris, who made one of the clearest statements about the war, have also caused disagreements within her party. Nevertheless, there are some doubts about Harris’s ability to deal with global problems and the role she can play in resolving these crises. Despite her notable activity on the political stage during her vice presidency, it is anticipated that this activity may be insufficient in terms of international interventions and sanctions. In this context, Harris may adopt a more cautious and controlled approach in responding to global crises as a continuation of her current stance. However, in an environment where global dynamics are rapidly changing, it can be argued that this stance may harm America’s claim to global leadership and make it difficult to achieve broader strategic goals.
[i] “Kamala Harris campaigns with running mate Tim Walz in Philadelphia: ‘It’s a fight for the future’”, Mainemorningstar.com, https://mainemorningstar.com/2024/08/06/kamala-harris-campaigns-with-running-mate-tim-walz-in-philadelphia-its-a-fight-for-the-future/, (Date of Access: 09.08.2024).
[ii] “The Uneasy Alliance Between Kamala Harris and Volodymyr Zelensky”, Time, https://time.com/7005282/kamala-harris-ukraine-volodymyr-zelensky-alliance/, (Date of Access: 09.08.2024).
[iii] “Kamala Harris seçilmesi halinde nasıl bir dış politika yönetecek?”, Fikirturu, https://fikirturu.com/jeo-politika/kamala-harris-secilirse-nasil-bir/, (Date of Access: 09.08.2024).
[iv] “Harris says she ‘will not be silent’ on Gaza suffering while telling Netanyahu to get ceasefire deal done”, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/25/politics/harris-netanyahu-israel-hamas-ceasefire/index.html, (Date of Access: 10.08.2024).
