Democratic strategist James Carville has issued a stern warning about the campaign strategy for Vice President Harris.

“I think that she has a record, she’s going to have to come up with some proposals. But I think a lot of it is going to depend on her ability to define herself, and I actually think she’s going to have to introduce herself, because she’s really not that well known,” Mr. Carville said on an episode of “Firing Line With Margaret Hoover” PBS released over the weekend.

“Republicans are going to try to introduce her on their terms. I don’t blame them. I would do the same thing. And she’s going to have to get good fast,” he said.

Following President Biden’s withdrawal under party pressure earlier this month, Ms. Harris swiftly became the presumptive Democratic nominee. While she has enjoyed initial support from her party and some in the press, Mr. Carville emphasized that this favorable period will not last indefinitely.

When asked about maintaining campaign momentum, Mr. Carville pointed out that Ms. Harris must understand the relief her nomination brought to the party. “People wanted something different… It was just a general feeling that people wanted a different choice than Donald Trump and President Biden, and they got it.”

He reiterated that Republicans are crafting strategies to undermine Ms. Harris’s credibility and that her campaign must not underestimate their efforts. “Look, she’s going to get slaughtered, they’re coming… They have got to get up and get ready and they’ve got to be able to defend and attack at the same time,” he warned.

“There’s going to be a time of struggle and definition as to who Vice President Harris is, and we better be ready for that,” Mr. Carville said.