Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
- Vice President Kamala Harris received media training ahead of her first foreign trip, CNN reports.
- A Harris aide described the training as routine.
- She was specifically prepped on a border question that later landed her in hot water.
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Ahead of her first foreign trip as vice president, Kamala Harris sat for extensive media training that involved polishing her answer in preparation for a question on why she hasn't gone to the US-Mexico border yet.
In response to the news first reported by CNN, senior Harris aide described the training as routine and not spurred by any particular event. The aide confirmed she took part in a "comprehensive session" in mid-April.
President Joe Biden tapped Harris with leading the administration's immigration efforts to address structural problems in Central America contributing to a surge of unaccompanied children at the US-Mexico border.
Harris has emphasized that she's working on poverty and violence contributing to the mass exodus in countries such as El Salvador and Honduras, not border security.
Despite her prep for a question on why she has yet to visit the border, Harris gave an answer in an NBC interview that reportedly left administration officials "quietly perplexed."
-Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) June 8, 2021
An offhand remark from Harris on how she hasn't visited the border but also hasn't been to Europe drew the most headlines and immediate scorn from Republicans, but also some Democrats.
Harris also urged those considering the journey to the border not to come, a comment that more progressive Democrats such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York described as "disappointing."
Part of the CNN report involved concerns from Democrats that Harris' performance in the NBC interview was reminiscent of her stumbles in the 2020 presidential primary.
Her early momentum was stalled by indecision on hot button issues in the race, and she appeared overly cautious answering questions on where she stood on certain issues, such as Medicare for All.
"In her mind she's being careful to be truthful, but to observers it sometimes looks like she's being dismissive," a former Harris aide told CNN.