The leading super PAC funding Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign is warning Democratic political operatives that messaging that focuses too narrowly on former President Donald Trump’s fascist label and character flaws is far less effective than messaging that focuses on policy differences between the two presidential candidates.
Future Forward USA Action, which has contributed more than $56 million to the Harris campaign, reportedly circulated an email Friday insisting that “attacking Trump’s fascism is not that persuasive,” according to the New York Times. The email was part of weekly “Doppler” messages that the fundraising behemoth sends out with guidance on messaging strategies and other tactics that the group has insight on.
“Purely negative attacks on Trump’s character are less effective than contrast messages that include positive details about Kamala Harris’s plans to address the needs of everyday Americans,” the Doppler email read.
An activist holding a sign with “Save Our Democracy” written on it stands outside the Supreme Court, as the court prepares to hear arguments on the immunity of former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“Focusing on Trump’s disturbing, ludicrous and outlandish behavior can be an effective lead-in to talking about substantive policy, but is not effective at moving vote choice on its own,” it also said.
The email pointed to Harris’ response to remarks made by Trump’s former Chief of Staff John Kelly, who said in a series of interviews last week that the former president “met the definition” of a fascist, and claimed Trump had praised Adolf Hitler on multiple occasions. The Doppler email noted that Harris’ comments were only in “the 40th percentile on average” in terms of moving voter choice.
Meanwhile, Harris’ remarks on “The Howard Stern Show” about promising to expand Medicare to help the elderly pay for in-home care, tested in the 95th percentile, the email pointed out.
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Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “The Howard Stern Show.” (Getty Images)
“They’ve been launching these attacks and lies against President Trump for eight years and every poll shows he’s more popular today than ever before,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said. “Tells you everything you need to know.”
Fox News reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not receive an on-the-record response. The president of Future Forward, Chauncey McLean, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment either; however, he did issue a rare statement to the New York Times.
“Don’t over-read this,” McLean said. “This is just one of our regular emails sharing testing results from thousands of pieces of earned and social media content. It shows people that the most effective way of using Trump’s words and behavior is tying them to consequences in voters’ lives. That’s what Kamala Harris does every day by comparing her to-do list with his enemies list, for example.”
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as she attends a campaign event with former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024 in Brookfield, Wisconsin. (AP/Morry Gash)
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Meanwhile, the Harris campaign released a memo over the weekend, according to the Times, which insisted Harris’ “economic message puts Trump on defense.”
“As voters make up their minds, they are getting to see a clear economic choice — hearing it directly from Vice President Harris herself, in her own words,” the memo declared.