If she wins the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris would enter an increasingly divided world stage as a “novice” foreign policy tactician — but experts warn that would pose serious risks to US national security.

Harris has garnered key endorsements and roughly $80 million in new campaign funds after President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he would not seek reelection, quickly emerging as a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for president in 2024. But Harris' lack of experience and policy stances make her unqualified to run serious national security and foreign policy, raising the risk that she will perform on par with or below Biden on such key issues, former U.S. government officials and defense experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation. (Related: KJP says concerns about Biden's ability to complete term are 'absurd')

“Kamala Harris was a foreign policy and national security novice in 2021, and she remains a novice even after a concerted effort to boost her credibility on the international stage,” Michael Barrs, a former White House senior communications adviser and National Security Council official, told DCNF. “Having Harris in the Oval Office will only make things more dangerous for the United States and our allies.”

Since taking office as vice president in 2021, Harris has been largely aligned with Biden's approach to foreign policy and national security, according to multiple reports.

In an open letter written by more than 350 signatories, Obtained Former foreign policy and national security officials praised Harris for meeting with “more than 150 world leaders” during her time as vice president and traveling abroad to represent the United States on the international stage, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Signatories to the letter included former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, former National Security Advisor Susan Rice and former intelligence official James Clapper, with Clapper declaring Harris “best qualified” to be the 47th president of the United States.

“Absolutely not,” Victoria Coates, a senior defense official at the Heritage Foundation and former White House national security adviser, told DCNF when asked if Harris could deliver competent foreign and national security policy, noting that she “failed” to address the root causes of illegal immigration despite being specifically directed to do so in 2021. “Biden has been working on these issues for at least decades and has a well-known track record. Harris' default mode appears to be extreme progressive policies that undermine our standing abroad.”

“Politically, I think she'll be relieved of some of the baggage she's had,” Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, joked to DCNF. line By Harris.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hold hands in the air after watching fireworks on the National Mall from the White House balcony with First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff during Independence Day celebrations on the White House South Lawn in Washington, DC, on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Samuel Collum/Getty Images)

Logan told DCNF that Harris' potential national security and foreign affairs views could change depending on what is politically advantageous if she is elected in November, noting that he didn't expect her to “deviate” dramatically from what has typically been seen under a Biden administration: “With a few exceptions, she has governed like an alternative to a Democratic senator and an alternative to a Democratic vice president…Where you stand depends on where you sit. A president is different from a presidential candidate, and a presidential candidate is different from a senator.”

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Harris has been vocal about Biden's continuation of military aid to Ukraine, amounting to roughly $175 billion beyond 2022. according to Former U.S. officials and defense experts have expressed concern that the Biden administration has no plan to peacefully end the war and ensure the safety of Ukrainians as Russian forces continue to shore up their forces and slowly expand their territory, even as Ukraine is equipped with Western weaponry. (Related: ICE launches thorough investigation of criminal aliens released into US under non-custodial program)

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference in February, Harris said she supported Ukraine's fight against Russia “for as long as necessary.” according to During the February meeting, she also emphasized her “ironclad” commitment to NATO, the transatlantic defense alliance that some experts worry could drag the United States further into conflict with Russia.

Harris made her position on the Russia-Ukraine war clear early in the 2022 conflict.

“Ukraine is a European country. It's next to a country called Russia,” Harris said on the radio. interview March 2022. “Russia is a bigger country. Russia is a powerful country. Russia has decided to invade a small country called Ukraine. So fundamentally it's wrong and goes against everything we stand for.”

Kamala Harris speaks onstage during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 6, 2024. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images, courtesy of ESSENCE)

The Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7 after Hamas invaded Israel, killing about 1,200 people, but Harris has largely supported Biden in calling for an end to the conflict, something neither Israel nor Hamas have agreed to so far. Harris has pushed for an “immediate” ceasefire in the war and has reportedly privately lobbied the administration to be more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and tougher on the Israeli government as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise.

Harris in July interview In an interview with The Nation, he said the pro-Palestinian protesters “exactly show what human emotions should be like,” and that while he rejected some of what they said, he understood “the emotion behind it.” Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have swept across the country since October 7, with some turning into displays of anti-Semitism and violence.

Regarding the Middle East region as a whole, Harris has supported the Biden administration's failed diplomatic efforts to contain Iran and revive the Obama-era nuclear deal that sought to roll back Iran's nuclear program. according to According to Al-Monitor, these efforts appear to have largely failed, as Iran has benefited from billions of dollars from the Biden administration's sanctions relief while organizing terror networks to attack U.S. and allied forces across the region.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Harris has reinforced the U.S. commitment to fair competition with China, the world's second-largest economy, while arguing that China needs to be less hostile toward the West and refrain from military conflict to achieve its goals, particularly regarding its annexation of Taiwan, Politico reported. Harris has made several overseas trips during her time as vice president, visiting East Asia four times since 2021 and meeting overseas with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September. according to ABC News and the Post. (Related article: Trump says he'll declassify assassination attempt investigation if elected)

Supporters hold signs as members of the San Francisco Democratic Party hold a rally in support of Kamala Harris after U.S. President Joe Biden announced he would withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, at San Francisco City Hall, California, July 22, 2024. (Photo by Lauren Elliott/Getty Images)

But experts who spoke to the DCNF questioned whether Harris would be able to attend and deliver at international summits or hold productive meetings independently, especially with world leaders with whom the US has strained relations.

“Harris is not as weak or compromising as the president, but she also doesn't seem serious, and I can't imagine she could handle difficult negotiations with a hostile foreign head of state like President Xi Jinping,” Coats told DCNF. “Nor is there any evidence she can have the tough conversations that need to be had with our NATO allies about European leadership in European security.”

In addition to support from lawmakers, members of the media, Democrats and Biden himself, key foreign policy figures in the Democratic establishment have also voiced their support for Harris in recent days. Though Biden only withdrew from the running on Sunday, Harris has already emerged as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination.

The Democratic National Convention (DNC), where the candidates will be formally selected, will be held the week of August 19th.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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