At a recent campaign stop in Pittsburgh, Vice President Kamala Harris declared her commitment to keeping US Steel under American ownership. This move is a direct echo of her opponent’s positions, as it closely mirrors the stance taken by former President Donald Trump.
“US Steel is a cornerstone of American industry, and it’s crucial that we ensure it remains under American control and operation,” Harris stated. This declaration aligns with President Biden’s position from March, when he expressed his opposition to the potential sale of US Steel to Japan’s Nippon Steel. Biden’s remarks at the time were notably similar to Harris’s recent statements, underscoring a pattern of policy repetition from the current administration.
Former President Trump had been vocal about his opposition to the US Steel deal even earlier. In January, he pledged that if re-elected, he would block the sale immediately. “I would stop it without hesitation,” Trump said. “We fought hard to revive the steel industry, and now we face the prospect of it being handed over to Japan. This would be a disastrous move.”
Harris’s recent policy positions have raised eyebrows, as she has adopted several ideas that Trump first introduced during his campaign. For example, Trump’s proposal to eliminate taxes on tips, which he first championed in June after a conversation with a waitress, was recently mirrored by Harris in August. “As your president, I will fight for working families by eliminating taxes on tips and raising the minimum wage,” Harris promised during a rally in Las Vegas.
Similarly, Harris’s proposal to expand the child tax credit comes in the wake of Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, advocating for a similar policy. Vance proposed a $5,000 child tax credit for all families, regardless of income, on August 11. Just days later, Harris unveiled her plan to provide up to $6,000 in tax breaks for families with infants and to restore the Biden administration’s extended child tax credit of $3,600 per child.
In response, Vance criticized Harris for copying Trump’s policy ideas. “Kamala Harris seems to be recycling Trump’s proposals,” Vance remarked during a campaign event in Michigan. “If she keeps this up, she might just adopt Trump’s campaign slogan and wardrobe next.”
This pattern of policy imitation suggests that Harris may be struggling to establish her own identity and agenda as she prepares for a potential presidential run in 2024.