Republicans are expressing concerns about Vice President Kamala Harris and her stance on Israel, and pointing to her foreign policy adviser, Phil Gordon, as a cause for concern.
Gordon is Harris’ most trusted adviser on foreign policy issues, and allies have credited him for his influence over the vice president and for his articulation of her carefully crafted narrative on the issue.
Harris has defended Israel’s right to defend itself, but has also criticized it for failing to reduce civilian casualties.
Republicans, however, are concerned that Gordon’s views and connections regarding Iran are troubling, especially around the issue of Israel’s relations with the United States.
Republican Party Conference chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York warned that Gordon’s views on Iran could be a major problem, telling DailyMail.com in an exclusive statement that his influence “is a danger to all Americans.”
Democratic presidential candidate and US Vice President Kamala Harris boards Air Force 2
“Republicans will continue to hold Kamala Harris accountable for the anti-Israel radicals and Iranian regime stooges within her inner circle who have made the world less safe,” he said.
Gordon has worked for three different Democratic administrations, starting with former President Bill Clinton, former President Barack Obama and now in the Biden administration, advising Harris.
Recent journalistic profiles of Gordon assure readers that he is a “pragmatist” on foreign policy, with great skepticism about the United States’ ability to overthrow dictators in the Middle East and build democracy.
Gordon, already part of the foreign policy establishment, would continue along the same path, but with a dose of skepticism about the limits of American power.
Dr. Phil Gordon speaks onstage during the Council on Foreign Relations’ 2024 International Affairs Fellowship (IAF) Conference
Vice President Kamala Harris is flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and National Security Adviser Phil Gordon (right) as they attend a meeting
But foreign policy experts in Congress are raising concerns about views on Iran and Israel and are weighing in on their views on how the United States should interact with them.
When Trump took power in 2016, Gordon criticized his foreign policy efforts to challenge Iran.
“How can Trump help protesters in Iran? Shut up,” Gordon wrote in 2017, criticizing Trump for expressing support for political protesters in the country. He also advised against tightening sanctions against Iran in 2018.
He was even more worried in 2018 after Trump ended the Iran nuclear deal.
“We’ve thrown everything away,” he lamented in an interview with NPR, describing Trump’s decision as misguided and ill-advised.
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (center), along with House Majority Leader Tom Emmer (left) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (right), speak at a news conference.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., speaks during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee.
“This is a really big deal and it seems like the president has taken this leap into the dark without really a plan or even an explanation of what’s supposed to happen,” he added.
Gordon also advised against piling sanctions on Iran, warning that putting financial pressure on the government would only lead it to lash out at its neighbors.
Trump frequently boasts that he has pushed Iran to the point of bankruptcy, failing to finance and launch major terrorist attacks.
Gordon’s repeated soft stance on Iran sparked interest from Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Stefanik, who warned in a letter about his ties to pro-Iranian interests.
Gordon also advised against piling sanctions on Iran, warning that putting financial pressure on the government would only lead it to lash out at its neighbors.
The team of advisors to US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (from left to right) Richard Danzig (National Security), Phil Gordon (Foreign Policy), Wendy Morigi (National Security), Dr. Susan Rice (Foreign Policy), Dennis Ross (Middle East Policy) and David Axelrod (Chief Strategist)
Gordon co-wrote some of his op-eds with Ariane Tabatabai, an official who was a founding member of a pro-Iran advocacy group, the Iran Experts Initiative. He also gave speeches to the National Iranian American Council, another pro-Iran lobby group.
Cotton and Stefanik warned Harris in their letter if she was aware of Gordon’s ties to pro-Iranian individuals.
“The Biden-Harris administration is no stranger to Iran’s accomplices, appeasers, and complicit actors,” the letter reads.
Gordon served as White House Middle East Coordinator and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs in the Obama administration.
He has advised Harris to take a more nuanced stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without appearing to abandon Israel as an ally.
But Gordon is also working to earn respect from other sides of the political spectrum.
The Wall Street Journal reported Gordon warned Harris about Biden’s plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, and advised the administration to support the idea of preserving a residual force to prevent the Taliban from taking control of the government.
Despite Gordon’s advice, Harris decided to side with President Biden, famously declaring that she was “the last one in the room” on the decision to withdraw.
Gordon also warned Obama that it would be difficult to force Syria’s Bashar al-Assad from power, according to reports, despite others who believed that backing Syrian rebels could force him from power.
But he is also widely seen as a hawk on Russia, fully supporting the ongoing war in Ukraine without attempting to resolve differences between the two countries through concessions or negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The vice president’s office did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.