With election day less than five months away, Democrats are gearing up to smear Trump’s running mate — whoever that may be — as an extremist. In an interview earlier this week, incumbent Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris made it clear that it didn’t really matter who former President Donald Trump picks as his running mate: Democrats plan to label anyone tied to Trump as an extremist. Politico noted that Harris didn’t discuss the individuals Trump has teased as potential running mates but instead focused on “just how little daylight Democrats are going to leave between Trump and whomever he picks as his No. 2.”

“What we know is that Donald Trump wants an enabler. He doesn’t want a governing partner,” Harris quipped to Politico on Monday. “The litmus test is, are they going to be absolutely loyal to Trump over country or their oath of office, or, frankly, the American people?” Politico reported that Harris made it clear that Democrats will try to prevent Trump from relying on “his new running mate to sand down his sharp edges in swing voters’ eyes,” focusing instead on painting whomever the presumptive Republican nominee picks as a Trump facsimile.

Organizations allied with Harris and her boss, Joe Biden, have already begun campaigns to target anyone Trump seems likely to pick. The pro-abortion activist group Emily’s List launched an initiative called “On Notice,” to track and disparage the pro-life records of individuals on Trump’s running mate shortlist. The project focuses on renowned neurosurgeon and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson; Governors Doug Burgum (R-N.D.), Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), and Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.); Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio); as well as U.S. House representatives, businesspeople, and diplomats. The project’s website states, “No matter who Donald Trump picks for his running mate, they will support his extreme anti-abortion agenda.”

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has initiated a similar campaign, called the “MAGA Veepstakes,” focusing on potential running mates’ support for Trump-era economic and tax policies. “Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are pushing to once again rig the economy for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations, and Trump’s VP contenders are all shamelessly lining up to support his failed MAGAnomics agenda that puts hardworking Americans last,” claimed DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd. Polling, however, has indicated that voters are deeply dissatisfied with Biden’s economic policies, despite the DNC’s claims.

“Republicans want voters to think that this group of MAGA lackeys will somehow temper Trump’s crazier impulses. It’s Mike Pence all over again, and look how that worked out last time,” an unnamed Democratic operative told the Washington Examiner. DNC officials also told the outlet that they plan to air “MAGA Veepstakes” ads nationally, in addition to sending out related fliers and memos to reporters. DNC communications director Rosemary Boeglin said, “Trump’s VP contenders have all already shown they pass his extreme, MAGA litmus test.”

“The 2024 presidential election is a unique opportunity for voters to choose a candidate based entirely on their recent job performance in this role. Poll after poll shows voters want the president to address the skyrocketing cost of living, the border, rising crime, and they want the gender ideology and woke stuff to cease,” said FRC Action Director Matt Carpenter in comments to The Washington Stand. He continued, “The incumbent doesn’t mention these concerns of the average voter at all, instead he’s resorted to desperately trying to frighten his base with their opponent’s running mate.” Referring to Harris, Carpenter added, “The risk for the Biden campaign in doing this, is that they’ll remind those same voters about his running mate, who is among the most unpopular vice presidents in history.”

In fact, a Politico/Morning Consult poll published on Wednesday found that Harris was unpopular even among her own party, with an approval rating even lower than Biden’s. Harris has been seen as particularly weak on key issues like immigration and the economy — both of which rank as top concerns for voters heading into November — but strong on her abortion advocacy, which is unlikely to appeal to non-Democratic voters.