A progressive “Progress 2028” manifesto attributed to Vice President Kamala Harris has been unmasked as a misleadingly fake document reportedly funded by conservative dark money groups with ties to Elon Musk, according to a report from the watchdog group Open Secrets.
The plan, Progress 2028, is being hailed as a liberal pathway for America and has now been unmasked as part of a campaign connected to a conservative dark money operation called Building America’s Future, which allegedly has ties to Musk.
Targeted Facebook ads pump up the mock manifesto, distorting Harris’s policy positions on immigration, healthcare, and gun control. Open Secrets told AFP that the project was “a calculated effort to deceive and potentially distract Democratic voters.”
“It is trying to undermine Harris by spreading divisive messages, misleading narratives under the guise of being an ally of Harris,” Anna Massoglia, a researcher with Open Secrets, added.
Examples of this include claims that Harris supports forcing a national gun buyback program, “healthcare for undocumented immigrants” funded by taxpayers, and providing “transition-related care” to minors without “parental intervention” – none of which align with Harris’s official 2024 policies.
The group said that besides misleading domestic audiences, the Progress 2028 campaign is targeting different voter groups with conflicting messages.
The reportedly pro-Israel ads targeting Jewish voters and anti-Israel ads targeting Arab American voters pop up on a user’s Facebook feed to say, “Drop a comment to thank Kamala,” which links to the Progress 2028 website. The tactic might be enough to help flip the states with crucial Arab American and Jewish demographics, such as Michigan and Pennsylvania.
