https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/morning-joe/kamala-harris-immigration-record-donald-trump-rcna166421

Kamala Harris' new ad is a pitch-perfect response to Donald Trump's attacks

Harris took an issue Republicans view as a big weakness and made it into a strength.

This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 13 episode of "Morning Joe."

Vice President Kamala Harris is going on the offense, and touting what she sees as her tough immigration record in a new campaign ad. Since she entered the race, Republicans have attacked Harris over the issue, falsely labeling her as the administration’s “border czar.”

This ad is exactly what the vice president should be doing: You go in on the issue that your opponent thinks is your weakness and make it your strength. It’s something Harris has done effectively on the campaign trail already. And it’s something that I suspect she’ll do effectively at the debate next month.

It’s very simple and the facts speak for themselves here. In July, border crossings were lower than during Donald Trump’s last month in the White House. There’s also the border bill backed by Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma — the most conservative immigration bill in decades. While Harris supported that deal, Trump stopped it — ordering House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson to kill the bill.

He did so because the bill would not only be good for those on the border who are concerned about illegal immigration, but also because it would be good news politically for President Joe Biden.

The ad was an effective way for Harris’ campaign to hit back against Trump and Republicans’ misinformation on her immigration record. We’ll see how it plays with voters in the coming weeks.