Donald Trump's attack on Kamala Harris over crime in California has two problems

Donald Trump tried to score points against Kamala Harris by alluding to her activities during her time as Attorney General of California.

During a press conference at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on August 15, Trump said that Harris, along with Governor Gavin Newswom, “destroyed San Francisco” and “has destroyed” California as a whole with their policies.

“She's going to do the same thing to our country. It was politics,” Trump said. “I didn't know this, but you're allowed to rob a store as long as it's not for more than $950.”

He continued, “You can rob a store, and then there are these thieves who go into the stores with calculators and calculate the amount, because if it's less than $950, they can rob it and not get charged. That was her who did it.”

Trump was presumably referring to Proposition 47, a California state law passed in 2014 that classifies nonviolent property crimes under $950 as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

According to the Associated Press, the goal of Bill 47 was to prevent further overcrowding in California's prisons. The money saved would be spent on “truancy and dropout prevention, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and victim services.”

Misdemeanors are considered less serious than felonies and are punishable in California by a maximum of one year in prison or a $1,000 fine. However, contrary to Trump's claims, they are still felonies.

Trump's assumption that Harris and Newsom were involved in the legislation may also have been incorrect. Factcheck.org reports that Proposition 47 was codified in a referendum in 2014, during Jerry Brown's tenure as California governor. However, there is no record of Harris taking a position on it. This is typical of California attorneys general, who are not expected to comment on such measures.

In November, Californians will vote on Assembly Bill 36, which would repeal some elements of Assembly Bill 47. This would result in some misdemeanors being treated as felonies, higher charges and higher penalties for certain drug and theft offenses.

Trump has recently made other claims about Harris' time as California's attorney general, including during his press conference at Mar-a-Lago on August 8, when he said she and current Governor Newsom “destroyed California.”

Harris held this office from 2011 to 2017 and then served as U.S. Senator for California until 2021.

During her time as attorney general, Harris famously launched an open data initiative in criminal justice, participated in a cross-state effort to combat climate change, and provided protections to California homeowners facing foreclosure and mortgage problems.

In the August 15 press conference, Trump continued to attack Harris, saying, “I think I have the right to attack her personally. I don't have a lot of respect for her.”

Newsweek has asked Trump and Harris for comment via email.

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