Harris’ support for bail fund during George Floyd protests affects Trump’s campaign pitch

Vice President Kamala Harris is gearing up to take on former President Donald Trump, not just in the upcoming 2024 election but also in the courtroom. Despite her tough stance against criminals, a bail fund she once supported continues to receive donations, raising questions about her past actions.

At a recent campaign event, Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, reflected on her extensive legal career, including her time as the district attorney for San Francisco and as the attorney general of California.

“I took on perpetrators of all kinds — predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain,” Harris stated during the event. She emphasized her readiness to face off against Trump, citing her experience in prosecuting individuals like him.

However, Harris’s tough talk about her prosecutorial background faces scrutiny due to her previous support for the Minnesota Freedom Fund in June 2020. This came amidst the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd. Even though Harris has been a vocal critic of the cash bail system, she promoted the bail fund to assist protesters arrested during the unrest.

Minneapolis news outlets reported that the fund’s efforts resulted in the release of individuals facing serious charges, including a suspected murderer and a convicted rapist. The fund’s contributions also aided a man who later engaged in a fatal shooting, weeks after being bailed out on previous charges.

Harris’s track record as a prosecutor has faced severe backlash, particularly for her handling of truancy cases and support for laws that criminalize parents whose children are frequently absent from school without valid reasons. Critics argue that these policies disproportionately impact low-income and minority families.

Despite the controversies surrounding her past decisions, Harris remains determined to secure the Democratic nomination for president and defeat Trump in the upcoming election. She aims to unite the party and the nation as she embarks on her campaign journey.