“She’s Going to Own All 68% of That Disapproval”: GOP Strategist Criticizes Kamala Harris’s Speech Optics at the White House

Following Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., billed as her campaign’s closing argument, Republican strategist and media consultant Brad Todd critiqued the visual and strategic choices of the event, calling it “political malpractice.” The Ellipse, located near the White House, served as the backdrop for Harris’s address—a decision that Todd, known for his background in political event planning, argued could backfire.

“I plan political events for a living, and I think this was political malpractice to put her in front of this White House,” Todd said on CNN shortly after Harris wrapped up her speech. He pointed out that with “sixty-eight percent of Americans” perceiving the country as “on the wrong track,” the decision to place Harris near the White House could symbolically link her to public dissatisfaction.

“By standing in front of that White House tonight, she’s going to own all 68% of that disapproval,” he remarked to CNN’s Anderson Cooper and a panel dissecting the speech. Todd speculated that the decision to deliver the speech at the Ellipse might have been for “a comforting reason,” suggesting that Harris might feel most at ease in Northwest Washington, D.C., where he said, “Everybody likes her.”

He further argued that her message could have resonated more with undecided or working-class voters if it had been delivered in a place like “a union lodge in Philadelphia, or in Pittsburgh tonight.” Such a setting, he noted, would likely connect better with the key voting demographic Harris aims to reach.

Todd also commented on Harris’s approach toward supporters of GOP candidate Nikki Haley, noting that Harris’s speech didn’t seem designed to win them over. “I think the Haley voters had to be looking at this as like a Christmas present they opened up and it was socks,” he quipped. “They got nothing new from her, nothing that wasn’t in her convention speech, frankly, and I don’t think this moves the ball for her here at the end.”

However, CNN host Dana Bash countered Todd’s view, suggesting that it was actually Haley’s recent statements on Fox News that might be more deserving of the “political malpractice” label. According to Bash, Haley’s complicated relationship with Donald Trump may be hindering her ability to reach voters effectively.

“There’s only one reason that Donald Trump has not used Nikki Haley, the way that she said she’s willing to be used for political, and that is because he can’t get past his grievances with her,” Bash argued. She went on to explain that Trump’s refusal to leverage Haley’s support could be a lost opportunity, as Haley had attracted a “sizable amount of the vote” even when she was not actively in the race.

“And those are the exact voters that the Harris campaign believes are gettable,” Bash added, highlighting a potential strategic flaw in Trump’s campaign for not fully utilizing Haley’s appeal. As the election draws closer, Harris’s decision to speak at the Ellipse—and the reactions it provoked—illustrate the high-stakes optics and messaging tactics both parties are navigating in their efforts to sway undecided voters in key states.