### Kamala Harris Faces Scrutiny Over Border Wall and Immigration Policies at CNN Town Hall

During a CNN town hall, Vice President Kamala Harris found herself under intense scrutiny as CNN anchor Anderson Cooper questioned her stance on the Biden administration's illegal immigration policies and her prior criticisms of a border wall. Commentators noted that Harris seemed more focused on former President Donald Trump than detailing her own strategies.

Cooper pressured Harris to clarify her support for a bipartisan immigration deal that included $650 million in border wall funding, despite having previously criticized the wall more than 50 times. Harris responded by drawing attention to Trump's claims about Mexico funding the wall, highlighting the minimal progress made under his administration. She pointed out that when Trump did pose for a photo op, it was next to a section of the wall built during Barack Obama's presidency.

Harris has taken a firmer stance on immigration following exclusive polling for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, revealing that 53 percent of Democrat-leaning voters favor a stronger approach to the issue. Philip van Scheltinga from the polling firm emphasized the need for the Democratic Party to reconsider its position on immigration given the widespread dissatisfaction among its base.

In addition to immigration, Harris used the opportunity to label Trump as a fascist, reflecting similar accusations made by John Kelly, Trump's former White House chief of staff. Trump's team has vehemently denied these allegations, with Trump himself branding Harris as "a Threat to Democracy" on Truth Social.

Fact-checking website PolitiFact stated that the Trump administration constructed 52 miles of new primary border wall and 406 miles of secondary barriers. However, The Washington Post reported that Trump's highly publicized visit to a border wall section in Montezuma Pass, Arizona, was indeed built under Obama’s administration.

When asked by Cooper why she would reintroduce the bipartisan border bill despite her past opposition, Harris answered, "I'm not afraid of good ideas where they occur." Cooper followed up by questioning if she still found the wall to be "stupid," to which Harris, pivoting back to Trump, said his efforts "did not make much sense because he actually didn't do much of anything."

CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash critiqued Harris' focus on Trump rather than specific policy proposals. Tapper remarked that she dwelled more on Trump than on outlining her own plans, while Bash suggested that undecided voters might not have been swayed by Harris' performance.

Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid commented that Harris evaded addressing U.S. involvement in Gaza’s destruction, while author Lisa Guerrero applauded Harris for her intelligent and empathetic performance, noting she refrained from praising Hitler, unlike some past controversial remarks made by Trump.

Trump's campaign shared clips from the town hall on X, formerly Twitter, garnering significant viewership. In one clip, Cooper posed tough questions about record border crossings in 2022 and 2023. Harris explained the delay in Biden’s executive order limiting asylum-seekers, citing efforts to achieve a long-term solution through Congress.

As the election approaches, polling website 538 indicates a tight race, with Trump slightly ahead at a 51 percent chance of victory compared to Harris' 49 percent.