Kamala Harris to propose prohibition on 'cost gouging' for food, food
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00:00As California's attorney general, Kamala Harris defended capital punishment in court,
00:05despite her campaign against it.
00:07As a senator, she proposed to end cash bail, reversing her previous criticism of judges
00:13for setting bail too low.
00:14Now, as vice president and Democratic presidential candidate, Harris's campaign says she doesn't
00:20want to ban fracking, a stance that contrasts with her previous position.
00:25Republicans often adjust their positions in response to shifting public opinion.
00:30Over her two-decade political career, Harris has shown a willingness to take varied positions
00:35as she climbed the political ladder.
00:37Her history of policy reversals has opened her to criticism from Republicans and cast
00:42doubt on her credibility as a truth-teller who can be trusted more than former President
00:47Donald Trump.
00:48Harris's changing positions on health care, immigration, and gun control, which she previously
00:53framed as moral issues, could also raise questions about her convictions as she campaigns
00:58for the presidency.
01:00Some of her most notable shifts include positions on capital punishment and law enforcement.
01:06Capital Punishment In 2004, Harris promised never to seek the
01:10death penalty, a pledge she held to even when a San Francisco police officer was killed.
01:16This decision drew criticism from police and fellow Democrats.
01:20By 2010, running for Attorney General, she said she would enforce the death penalty as
01:25the law dictates amid a close race against Republican opponent Steve Cooley.
01:29As Attorney General, she defended the death penalty in court while refusing to enforce
01:34a ban on gay marriage.
01:36Law Enforcement Harris began her political career by criticizing
01:40her predecessor as a do-nothing prosecutor and taking a tough stance on crime, even prosecuting
01:46the parents of chronically traunt students.
01:49During a scandal involving a drug-skimming evidence technician, Harris's office was slow
01:53to disclose the issue, and she sought to keep prosecuting tainted cases.
01:58Her tenure as Attorney General was marked by hardline stances on criminal justice, including
02:03opposing early release of prisoners due to overcrowding and resisting mandatory police
02:08shooting investigations.
02:10After becoming a senator, Harris embraced a more progressive image, proposing to abolish
02:15cash bail and calling for a moratorium on the death penalty.
02:19Marijuana and Gun Control On marijuana, Harris's position evolved from
02:23enforcement to advocacy for legalization.
02:27As San Francisco's District Attorney, her office convicted over 1,900 people on marijuana
02:33offenses.
02:34By 2019, while running for President, Harris admitted to smoking marijuana in college and
02:40criticized the federal classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug.
02:45Harris's policy shifts draw comparisons to former President Trump, who has also been
02:49known for changing positions on key issues like abortion.
02:53Critics, including John Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College,
02:58point out Harris's vulnerability to accusations of flip-flopping, while acknowledging that
03:03Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance, face similar critiques.
03:07Despite this, history shows that changing positions does not always hinder a politician's
03:12success.
03:13In the 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton was criticized as a panda bear but went on
03:19to win the election and serve two terms as President.