Kamala Harris Flips on Plastic Straw Ban, Part of Pattern of Campaign Position Changes

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has reversed her previous support for a ban on plastic straws, the latest in a series of policy changes her campaign has made since she became the party's nominee.

American University historian Allan Lichtman, who has correctly predicted nine of the last ten presidential elections, has stated that he believes Kamala Harris will win the 2024 presidential election.

Harris's campaign has abandoned her previous position from the 2020 Democratic primary, in which she stated that plastic straws should be banned due to environmental considerations. "She doesn't support banning plastic straws," a campaign official told Axios on Wednesday.

Kamala Harris Flips on Plastic Straw Ban, Part of Pattern of Campaign Position Changes

Harris was asked whether she would support a ban on "single use plastics" during a CNN town hall marathon in 2019, and specifically whether she would ban plastic straws. "I think we should, yes," Harris responded. "Look, I'm going to be honest... It's really difficult to drink out of a paper straw," she joked. "So we kinda have to perfect that a little bit more."

The campaign emphasized that the policy change does not lower the priority of environmental reforms for the vice president. "She cast the tie-breaking vote on the most consequential legislation to combat climate change and create clean energy jobs in history, and as President, she is going to be focused on expanding on that progress," the campaign told Axios.

Kamala Harris Flips on Plastic Straw Ban, Part of Pattern of Campaign Position Changes

It's the latest in a long series of position flips the Harris campaign has undertaken as the vice president seeks to succeed President Biden in the November election.

Harris has been accused by voters, political pundits, and the Trump campaign of flip-flopping on key policies since emerging as the Democratic Party's nominee after President Biden dropped out of the race last month. 

Kamala Harris Flips on Plastic Straw Ban, Part of Pattern of Campaign Position Changes

On fracking, for example, Harris's campaign announced last month that the vice president did not support a ban on the oil extraction technique that enjoys broad support in battleground states like Pennsylvania. That position, however, is the opposite of her remarks as a primary candidate during a 2019 CNN town hall event, when Harris said there is "no question I’m in favor of banning fracking."

Harris has also distanced herself from "Medicare for All" and semiautomatic rifle buyback programs after publicly touting both programs during her failed primary campaign during the 2020 cycle. 

Political commentator JD Vance criticized Harris for her "flip-flopping" during a CNN interview, saying, "It's important for us not to buy this."

The apparent policy shifts by Harris have raised questions about her consistency and commitment to her stated principles. As she seeks to become president, voters will be closely scrutinizing her positions on key issues and evaluating whether she is a reliable leader.

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.