“Only One Candidate for President Who Will Fight for Our Planet”: Republican-Backed Robocalls Urge Votes for Jill Stein to Draw Support from Kamala Harris

In an unexpected twist, Republican-backed robocalls have begun circulating in Michigan and Wisconsin, urging voters to support Green Party candidate Jill Stein, in what appears to be a calculated attempt to siphon votes from Vice President Kamala Harris in a tightly contested race. CNN anchor Erin Burnett, clearly taken aback by the strategy, shared the details with viewers on her show OutFront after CNN’s KFILE obtained audio of the robocalls.

In one of the recordings, a female voice introduces herself as “Jennifer with Badger Values” and claims, “There’s only one candidate for president who will fight for our planet, support a real Green New Deal, and ban fracking. And it’s not Kamala Harris, it’s Jill Stein.” According to polls, Stein currently holds about 1-2% of the vote in Michigan and Wisconsin — a seemingly small number, but potentially enough to tip the balance in a race between Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Andrew Kaczynski, senior editor of KFILE, explained to Burnett that the GOP-backed robocalls are part of an effort to “peel off votes from Kamala Harris” by boosting support for Stein among voters concerned with environmental and foreign policy issues. “They’re attacking her evolving stances on energy policy, such as fracking,” Kaczynski noted, highlighting how the calls attempt to frame Harris as out of step with progressive environmental goals.

The calls also target Harris’s position on foreign policy, particularly concerning Israel and Gaza. In a second robocall from Badger Values PAC, another female voice emphasizes, “There is only one candidate who recognizes the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and it’s not Kamala Harris. It is Jill Stein.” The ad goes on to accuse Harris of “pledging to stand with Israel while they continue the slaughter in Gaza,” appealing to voters who support a free Palestine and peace in the Middle East.

Badger Values PAC, the group behind these calls, has reportedly spent over $1 million on the robocall campaign in just the past 11 days, with nearly $400,000 specifically promoting Stein’s campaign, according to Kaczynski. Burnett expressed surprise at the amount of money invested in this tactic, observing, “I mean, it’s incredible,” and noting that Stein herself isn’t involved in the effort, even as her campaign may benefit from the publicity.

“This is totally legal,” Kaczynski explained, pointing out that while the strategy may be ethically questionable, it remains within the bounds of election law. He further noted that this approach diverges from traditional voter outreach methods: “What’s interesting about this effort is that the group is also sending calls urging other voters to cast ballots for Trump. They’re not even doing the whole ‘pretend’ thing that we sometimes see,” he added. Instead, these calls are directly promoting Trump to specific voter segments, including supporters of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reminding them of Kennedy’s recent endorsement of Trump.

The GOP’s targeted robocall campaign underscores a growing trend of unconventional election strategies aimed at influencing specific voter blocs in swing states. By promoting Stein to progressive-leaning voters who may be on the fence, the campaign seeks to draw enough votes away from Harris to impact the election’s outcome. As Election Day nears, the success of these tactics remains uncertain, but their potential influence on a razor-thin race in critical states like Michigan and Wisconsin is undeniable.