Harris campaign has yet to lean on Hillary Clinton on the trail

WASHINGTON — Less than two weeks before an election where she could make history, Vice President Kamala Harris has yet to enlist help on the campaign trail from the only other woman who has gotten as close to the Oval Office: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The decision underscores Harris’ lack of emphasis on the history-making potential of her candidacy in her pitch to voters, a stark contrast to Clinton’s approach in her 2016 campaign. It also reflects the Harris campaign’s strategy of training its focus on making inroads with specific voters, particularly men.

A person close to the campaign said that at this moment, having Clinton on the campaign trail might not be the most helpful move, since it needed to focus on its core messages.

Clinton is expected to do at least one event for the Harris campaign in the final week of the election, according to two people familiar with the planning, though an event has not been announced. It is unclear if Clinton will appear alongside the vice president on the campaign trail.

A Harris campaign official said Clinton will campaign for the vice president in the final stretch of the race.

Since endorsing Harris’ candidacy in July, Clinton has headlined several fundraisers for her. The most high-profile appearance she’s made on Harris’ behalf was a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention in August.

Clinton has tried to boost support for Harris during media appearances and with some social media posts, including a video Wednesday where she said: “Kamala is the right person for this time in our country.”

“A lot of us have put some big cracks in that glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “There was a purpose behind it and that purpose was the freedom to be yourself and the freedom to go as hard as your work and talent will take you.”

Harris does not speak about the glass ceiling on the campaign trail, telling NBC News in an interview Tuesday, “Well, I’m clearly a woman. I don’t need to point that out to anyone.”

“You don’t always have to talk about history to make it. Voters are tired, anxious, and want to know what the next president is going to do for them,” said a Democratic strategist, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “The campaign’s instinct to keep identity politics at arm’s length is a totally reasonable one, and powerful surrogates like Secretary Clinton are out there raising tens of millions of dollars to make sure that the vice president’s message gets to voters.”

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