As Kamala Harris positions herself as a tough prosecutor in her bid for the presidency, critics question whether her legal career is built on substance or simply savvy networking.
Vice President Kamala Harris is highlighting her experience as a "top cop" to make her case for the presidency in November, aiming to "prosecute" her GOP opponent. However, critics argue that her legal career is "devoid" of significant achievements and attribute much of her success to strategic networking.
Harris's nearly 30-year rise through the ranks has had its share of challenges, including failing the bar exam on her first attempt in 1989. Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell, who passed the California bar the same year, described Harris as a "political opportunist" who capitalized on being "in the right place at the right time." He attributes her rapid ascent from district attorney to attorney general, senator, and now vice president, largely to her networking efforts rather than academic or professional accomplishments.
Terrell also pointed to the guidance of former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who has openly discussed his extramarital relationship with Harris in the 1990s, as a factor in her political rise. "She has no outstanding achievement as a lawyer, as a trial lawyer, her record is devoid," Terrell said, emphasizing that her current political status is more a result of networking and timing than substantive legal accomplishments.
Since announcing her presidential candidacy following President Biden's exit from the race, Harris has leaned heavily on her background as California’s "top cop." A recent pro-Harris ad underscores this, comparing her prosecutorial experience to dealing with figures like former President Trump.
Democrats have begun framing the upcoming election as a contest between a "Prosecutor vs. the Felon," referring to Harris and Trump, who was found guilty in a New York criminal case earlier this year. This narrative has been echoed by several Democratic representatives on social media, emphasizing the stark contrast between the candidates.
Harris, who will turn 60 in October, spent 27 years in the legal field, a career that began with her failing the bar exam. This failure resurfaced in 2020 during her vice-presidential campaign, especially as she questioned Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, who graduated first in her class at Notre Dame Law School. The contrast between Harris’s bar exam failure and Barrett’s academic achievements sparked social media commentary, prompting fact-checks and discussions about Harris's early legal struggles.
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