Axelrod: ‘A Bunch’ of Harris’ Old Positions Were Just Her Saying what Consultants Told Her to

On Thursday’s broadcast of “CNN NewsNight,” CNN Senior Political Commentator and former Obama adviser David Axelrod said 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris took “a bunch” of positions during her last presidential run “that did not really reflect what she felt comfortable with and she did not seem connected to the words she was speaking” because political consultants told her to.

Axelrod began the segment by praising how Harris handled questions about her policy changes.

Later, after Harris’ immigration policy flip came up, Axelrod stated that “the reason she didn’t make it to 2020 was she was taking a bunch of positions that were the state of the art political advice that did not really reflect what she felt comfortable with and she did not seem connected to the words she was speaking” before being cut off by host Abby Phillip.

In another section of the segment, Axelrod said he thinks Harris is a “pragmatic progressive,” and the Democratic Party has shifted on immigration.

Later, columnist, CNN Senior Political Commentator, and former Bush official Scott Jennings asked Axelrod, “[Y]ou said she was — in 2019, that she was taking the state of the art political advice and that’s why she did what she did. Wouldn’t that bother — if you didn’t know anything about this person who wanted to be the president, wouldn’t it bother you to know that they might have certain instincts or values, but they’re willing to set those aside as long as the political consultants –?”

Axelrod cut in to respond, “I guess my answer to you is I would take some solace in the fact that they have values and principles and that they’re not entirely transactional. And that is a distinction with the candidate she is running against.”

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