JD Vance claims Kamala Harris is running a ‘copycat’ campaign during Erie visit: ‘She wants my job.’
Vice President Kamala Harris has walked back some progressive policies since her last campaign, but a vast ideological and political gulf continues to separate her from former President Donald Trump.
Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance said Vice President Kamala Harris is running a “copycat” campaign, claiming that she “pretends” to agree with former President Donald Trump on “every issue.”
The comment came during Vance’s remarks at Team Hardinger, a trucking company in Erie, Pa., where he was scheduled to discuss the economy and take reporters’ questions. Vance made the claim about Harris while discussing a phone call with Trump before he came on stage.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, I think I figured out what’s going on, she wants my job,’” Vance said during his remarks. “She’s realizing that they don’t have a chance. She’s going to ditch Tim Walz and she wants to run alongside Donald Trump.”
“Trump and Vance will always prioritize their ultra-wealthy buddies over middle-class Americans while Vice President Harris has the record and agenda to prove her loyalty lies with average families and their fight to not just get by, but get ahead,” Ammar Moussa, rapid response director for the Harris campaign, said in a statement.
Vance seems to be following a strategy used by Trump recently in which he’s claimed that Harris is copying his “no taxes on tips” policy, which Trump was the first to suggest. Harris has recently endorsed eliminating taxes in these circumstances.
Vast ideological, political and personal differences separate the two candidates. Vance was not specific about policies where the two candidates supposedly align, and Trump has not pointed to any specific overlap beyond eliminating taxes on tips. Harris has, however, scaled back some of the progressive stances she touted during her 2019 presidential primary campaign.
For instance, Harris previously supported a ban on fracking, but upon becoming President Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, she backed away from that position. In 2024, she no longer supports a ban, but Trump and Vance have continued to attack Harris on her previous stance especially in their visits to Pennsylvania, where there’s a significant natural gas industry.
Harris has also tried to highlight a strong stance on border security as she faces consistent scrutiny from the GOP on immigration, and as Trump continues to promote himself as the staunch border security candidate.
In her nomination acceptance speech at the DNC, Harris said she knows “the importance of safety and security, especially at our border.” She also pledged to bring back a bipartisan border security bill that was knifed by Senate Republicans.
Vance’s Erie visit is his fourth time in Pennsylvania since becoming Trump’s running mate in July, and his second in a little over a week. “You all of Pennsylvania are gonna get sick of me over the next two months, because I practically live here in the state of Pennsylvania, because this is such an important state for us,” he said.
The Trump campaign has been focusing on the economy and energy in recent trips to Pennsylvania, with Vance being a main surrogate for this work.
Vance, in his last appearance in the state, visited Disorb Systems in North Philadelphia to give remarks on manufacturing and energy policies in the commonwealth.