In a recent interview, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised a red flag about a possible ‘October surprise’ that could negatively impact Vice President Kamala Harris’s public image. Speaking to Margaret Hoover on ‘Firing Line,’ Clinton voiced her concerns about a potential campaign aimed at misrepresenting Harris’s identity, values, and actions. This echoes the experience of the 2016 ‘pizzagate’ conspiracy theory, a fabricated narrative that plagued Clinton’s own presidential campaign against Donald Trump.
Clinton highlighted the danger of such misinformation, often originating from the dark web and amplified by pro-Trump media, leading to widespread belief. She fears that the upcoming election’s ‘digital airwaves’ will be flooded with similar misinformation, potentially fueled by foreign actors like Russia, Iran, and China.
She urged the press to maintain a ‘consistent narrative’ about the threat Trump poses to the country. Clinton anticipates a story about Harris surfacing soon. ‘So, I don’t know what it’s going to be,’ she said, ‘But it will be something, and we’ll have to work very, very hard to make sure that it is exposed as the lie that it is.’
Clinton has previously offered Harris strategic advice for her potential face-off with Trump. She warned Harris of Trump’s likely ‘scorched Earth’ approach, aimed at undermining her. In July, Clinton penned an opinion piece for The New York Times, urging Democrats to unite behind Harris. She expressed confidence in Harris’s ability to offer a ‘hopeful, unifying vision’ for American politics. Earlier in April, Clinton criticized Trump’s tax policies favoring the wealthy. She stated, ‘If you’re a billionaire, he’s on your side. Otherwise, good luck.’
