How Harris is taking Trump’s tough-guy act on directly

But Trump’s tough-guy persona is an act, and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is calling him out on it. Her campaign and its allies are leaning into Harris’ background as a prosecutor, her advocacy in the Senate and her time as vice president to tout her strength. And they’re contrasting this with Trump’s empty rhetoric and record of failure to show that she’s actually the stronger, tougher candidate. During a rambling and glitch-delayed conversation with billionaire Elon Musk this week, Trump leaned into his usual attacks, falsely accusing Harris of serving as President Joe Biden’s “border czar.” For starters, that was never her title — and I should know, since I was working for her at the time. I served as Harris’ chief spokesperson when the president asked her to lead diplomatic efforts to tackle the “root causes” of migration. The vice president led these talks with our partners in Mexico and Central America, focusing on new strategies to expand economic opportunities in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. So, who is stronger: the candidate who complains about border crossings before, during and after his presidency or the one who looks to figure out why they’re happening and work with foreign leaders to address the issue? In a Harris-Walz campaign ad titled “Tougher,” a narrator lists her record as a border-state prosecutor. The campaign ad also highlights her support for a bipartisan deal deemed the “toughest border control bill in decades.” The ad ends by declaring: “Fixing the border is tough. So is Kamala Harris.” Voters should know the truth: Trump’s weaknesses as a leader are part of the reason why Harris can play offense here. Another major issue for the “toughness” question is crime, and again, Harris comes out on top. As the vice president has been saying on the campaign trail: As a former prosecutor, she knows Trump’s type. Her campaign has used that experience to frame her as tough on crime and highlight Trump’s own criminal record. In May, a New York jury found Trump guilty of an elaborate scheme to hide information from voters ahead of the 2016 election. While Trump works to distort Harris’ record on crime, his supporters embrace his criminality. At his rallies, the MAGA faithful hold up signs with his mug shot with the words “Never Surrender.” Trump also vows to pardon criminals who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump is holding fewer events this campaign, spending his time on late-night social media attacks and whining about how unfair everything is. Trump is holding fewer events this campaign, spending his time on late-night social media attacks and whining about how unfair everything is. During her short time at the top of the Democratic ticket, Harris has managed to define herself before Trump and other Republicans have landed on an effective countermessage. This battle to control the narrative is playing out before one of Harris’ biggest opportunities to sell herself to the American people: next week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It is also an opportunity to elevate Harris’ proven track record and counter Trump’s playbook of lies and half-truths. But I’ve seen the vice president in action, and I believe she’s tough enough to handle them. After all, running for president is tough — and so is Kamala Harris. For more thought-provoking insights from Symone Sanders-Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez, watch “The Weekend” every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-harris-tough-guy-act-crime-immigration-rcna166804