(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign admitted on Wednesday that her much-touted “opportunity agenda for Black men” was just smoke and mirrors.
The campaign told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that the plan is open to all races.
This shameless walk-back came less than 48 hours after Harris had marketed her plan—including $20,000 taxpayer-funded forgivable loans and the legalization of recreational marijuana—as an initiative specifically for black men.
“When we invest in Black men—their dreams, aspirations, and ambitions—we are stronger,” Harris declared in the agenda’s announcement on X. Since then, Harris and her campaign have repeatedly promoted the plan as a unique “opportunity agenda for Black men.”
My parents met while protesting for civil rights. When I was a child, they would take me to marches in a stroller.
Those were my first memories of seeing people fighting for the freedoms and the promise of America that had long been kept from them.
As I have traveled across the… pic.twitter.com/kNKPss77fU
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 14, 2024
Or so it seemed.
In remarks to the WSJ, the Harris campaign admitted that the benefits would apply to all Americans, not just black men.
The campaign also conceded the plan’s initial rollout was a publicity stunt aimed at shoring up support from black men ahead of the November election.
A campaign handout claimed that Harris wants “to make Black men feel valued and like they have a government that cares about them and their dreams.”
As reported by WSJ, the Harris team appeared aware that any attempt to create a federal program benefiting one specific racial group would not survive for long.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that race-based initiatives are discriminatory, shutting down affirmative action in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
“Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote. “In other words, the student must be treated based on his or her experiences as an individual—not on the basis of race.”
Harris’s announcement came just days after former President Barack Obama publicly scolded black men for their lack of support for the vice president, accusing them of harboring sexist views.
Obama, who provided no evidence to back his baffling claims, came under fire from his allies, who called his comments antagonizing and patronizing.
Former President Barack Obama has a “tough talk” at the Black voters for Harris event in East Liberty. He addressed that Black men have not been as enthused about Harris as during his first run, and he sought to encourage them to join Harris’ movement pic.twitter.com/gDFZhsdLxC
— Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) October 10, 2024
