Experts in the News | Miller Center

Kamala Harris has little time until the US presidential election, but that could be an advantage

"It's going to be hard for Trump to find a good answer to his new challenger in the short time he has left before the election."

Barbara Perry

2024 Could Be A ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ Election For Donald Trump’s Jan. 6 Rioters

“You’re always going to upset some people if a president decides to commute a sentence or pardon someone or grant amnesty,” Perry said. “But this one, to me, seems especially difficult because of what these people were doing to the institution of the Congress of the United States while it was engaged in its constitutional duty of confirming the presidential election.”

Barbara Perry

‘The difference between a wedding and a funeral.’ Democrats gather in Chicago with newfound unity behind Harris.

“Let’s say Biden had dropped out last year at this time,” she said. “Whoever would have gotten the nomination would have been bruised and battered by the primary system.”

Barbara Perry

Decision Guide: What Happens to Democracy Under Trump vs. Harris?

“We shouldn’t look at Trump from now as if he’s somehow starting at zero,” says Barbara Perry, a political science professor at the University of Virginia's Miller Center and co-director of the Presidential Oral History Program. “We don't just have what he’s said this year leading up to the election. We have four additional years.”

Barbara Perry

Hail to the chef: Vice President Kamala Harris turns love of cooking into political tool

"U.S. society is in a place where it's possible for a female candidate, even one running for the highest levels of government, to be totally authentic about what cooking means to her," said Jennifer L. Lawless, a professor of political science at the University of Virginia.

Jennifer Lawless

The Time Is Now for the DOD to Expedite Action on Biosurveillance

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has struggled for years to unify its biosurveillance capabilities, achieving some progress but still falling short. It can fix that vulnerability through sustained, high-level leadership and a concrete, practical action plan to integrate and modernize its assets. These priority steps would improve the readiness of U.S. forces, the capability to detect and respond to biothreats, and the ability to protect Americans. Time, however, is precious, and delays are costly.

J. Stephen Morrison