Like most vice presidents, Kamala Harris was not given much runway on foreign policy. President Biden prided himself on his international expertise and relished his rapport with global leaders. But in the role she did fill, Ms. Harris made an impression.
In more than 30 interviews with officials on four continents, including foreign heads of state, senior diplomats and activists who have personally interacted with her, a consistent picture emerges. Ms. Harris can be many things at once: warm but steely on occasion; authoritative but personable.
She has represented the United States frequently during trips to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, and has met with more than 150 world leaders. And she has attended three Munich Security Conferences — an annual staple for top-level foreign policy officials to meet and set the Western defense agenda. In recent months, she has also become more directly involved in discussions with global leaders on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
At home, she has struck a stronger tone on the plight of Palestinians than Mr. Biden, while sticking with his general stance on Israel’s right to defend itself. In what amounted to her debut on the world stage as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee this past week, Ms. Harris declared after meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Washington that she would “not be silent” about the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
What foreign policy remit she has had has been focused on Central America. Mr. Biden tasked her with working to improve conditions there — such as by fighting poverty and corruption — to discourage families from fleeing to the U.S.-Mexico border. As illegal crossings at the border soared, she has been criticized by Republicans and some Democrats who say she should have been more involved in enforcement efforts; her team argues that was not part of her role.
Foreign policy is a crowded field in any administration, with the secretary of state and the national security adviser playing day-to-day roles, and, according to some foreign officials, Ms. Harris did not emerge as a key point person for global leaders.
