PolitiFact recently analyzed Vice President Kamala Harris’ claim that she has “strong approval ratings.” This came after an ABC News interview where Harris was questioned about her notably low approval ratings, which some say are the lowest for any vice president.
When asked by ABC’s Linsey Davis if race and gender played a role in these ratings, Harris mentioned other polls that purportedly show her in a positive light. She also suggested that such discussions divert attention from her administration’s achievements.
However, PolitiFact contested Harris’ claims, stating that public polls did not align with her assertions. Citing FiveThirtyEight, they indicated that Harris had an average approval rating of 39.7% and a disapproval rating of 52.3%. The most recent positive poll for Harris dated back to October 2021 from Saint Leo University. This showed her approval rating slightly above her disapproval, but it was within the poll’s margin of error.
PolitiFact further highlighted that the vice president’s recent approval ratings have been consistently below 50%. They contacted the White House for clarification, and while a representative acknowledged some early positive ratings, they also pointed to strong approval from specific voter subgroups. For instance, a July SSRS/CNN poll showed 72% approval among Black voters.
Despite this, PolitiFact rated Harris’ statement as “False.”
Interestingly, this comes after PolitiFact supported another of Harris’ statements about Florida’s curriculum on slavery, deeming it “mostly true.” Harris had criticized Florida’s portrayal of slavery, leading to a disagreement with Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The curriculum describes the adversity faced by slaves but also acknowledges that some slaves gained beneficial skills during their enslavement that were helpful after emancipation.
Dr. William Allen, involved in designing this curriculum and a descendant of slaves, critiqued Harris’ characterization of it. He accused both the media and the vice president of misconstruing the curriculum for their own motives. In a conversation with Fox News Digital, Allen emphasized that the content of the curriculum directly contradicts Harris’ claims.
