Communications director of Kamala’s campaign called to “defund the police”
Veteran Democratic operative Brian Fallon, who joined Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign trail as communications director in December, called to "defund the police" back in June 2020.
"Defund the police," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on June 4, 2020, just days after the Black Lives Matter riots that were triggered by the death of George Floyd during his arrest by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. The protests condemned so-called "systemic racism" as well as police brutality.
Fallon, whose bio on X now says, "Harris for President," has not been clear if he has since changed his position on that issue, which became wildly unpopular with Democrat and Republican voters, Breitbartreported.
He has also been known for publicly criticizing President Joe Biden in the past, slamming the president back in 2019 during a debate in the Democratic presidential primaries. He posted on X, that "Biden trying to complete an answer is a tender moment." He also condemned Biden for his past collaboration with segregationists.
He lashed out one of his strongest criticisms of Biden as the future running mates duked it out for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. "White politicians and White commentators don't [sic] get to tell the two black candidates in the 2020 race they are wrong to take offense at Joe Biden's comments. Just stop," Fallon tweeted in June 2019. At a Democratic debate the day before, Harris and Sen. Cory Booker (D - NJ) condemned Biden's praise for segregationists with whom he worked with in the 1970s.
"A lot of people seem to be giving Biden a pass for that answer on slavery," Fallon tweeted during a September 2019 Democratic primary debate.
For Washington Free Beacon's Chuck Ross, Fallon may have a harder time defending Harris now that he's on her payroll as former employees described her office as toxic. In fact, according to a recent NBC Newspoll, a meager 29 percent of Americans have a favorable view of Harris.
Meanwhile, when Biden endorsed her candidacy following his decision to withdraw from the race, Harris has made a pivot publicly from more extremist positions. On Thursday, July 25, she publicly condemned far-left anti-Israel protesters for their antisemitic rhetoric. She posted a statement on X, saying: "I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation."
Harris' backers from Hollywood to Wall Street will shape her campaign or presidency if she wins
As Harris suddenly ascended to becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee who will go face to face with former President Donald Trump in the upcoming elections, the world has also started watching out for the new cast of aides, confidants and supporters who will shape the campaign or even her stint as the POTUS, if she gets a chance to win.
According to the Financial Times, the inner circle surrounding Harris is her family, including her husband, sister, niece and brother-in-law. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, a Los Angeles-based lawyer, has been active both in the campaign, including on fundraising and at official White House events. Her sister Maya Harris, a lawyer who ran her failed 2020 campaign for the Democratic nomination, and her niece theater producer Meena Harris, remain close to her. Maya's husband Tony West has also been seen several times recently on Air Force Two, the vice president's plane.
Harris' campaign finance supporters include Wall Street icons such as top corporate bankruptcy adviser Jon Henes, who has been coordinating fundraising events. Other figures rushing to help include Ray McGuire, the Lazard banker and former Citigroup executive and Brad Karp, chair of corporate law firm Paul Weiss. Also on board are Blair Effron, the veteran dealmaker at Centerview Partners and a fixture of Democratic fundraising, Blackstone president Jonathan Gray, Evercore co-founder Roger Altman and Marc Lasry, the hedge fund investor and former co-owner of NBA team the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Many in Wall Street have been extremely supportive of Kamala for years," said a Democratic fundraiser. "Blair and Brad backed her hugely in the 2020 presidential primaries?.?.?.?they aren't last minute supporters."
Harris's husband, being a well-regarded entertainment lawyer, has also enabled her to have strong Hollywood connections. The couple lives in the posh Brentwood neighborhood, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger also reside.
She is also good friends with Chrisette Hudlin, who is the wife of Reginald Hudlin, a Democratic donor and former president of Black Entertainment Television and producer of films including House Party and Django Unchained. She is also close to Dana Walden, co-chair of Disney Entertainment, who along with her husband Matt have been friends and financial backers since 2003. Producer Ryan Murphy and Nicole Avant, wife of Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, are also her supporters, as well as Laura Shell, wife of Jeff Shell, the former NBCUniversal executive and incoming Paramount CEO.
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