Former President Donald Trump and his campaign spent much of last week discussing Vice President Kamala Harris’s racial background.

However, political analysts and polling data suggest that they are overlooking crucial issues. Instead, they should focus on three key concerns: inflation, immigration, and the progressive policies supported by Harris.

As vice president, Kamala Harris is closely tied to the Biden-Harris administration’s policies and performance, which has been underwhelming on several critical issues, according to RealClearPolitics. Recent polls reveal President Joe Biden holds a 34.5% average approval rating on inflation, with 62.5% of respondents disapproving of his handling of the issue. On immigration, Biden fares similarly, with a 33.2% approval rating and 62.8% disapproval.

The Trump campaign initially sought to associate Kamala Harris with the Biden administration’s policies, as shown in an early campaign ad that depicted her as the driving force behind the White House’s major initiatives. “Look what she got done: a border invasion, runaway inflation, the American Dream dead. They created this mess. They – no, Kamala – owns this failed record,” the ad declared.

“But the campaign swiftly got off message, with Trump side-tracked by Harris’s mixed-race background and her efforts to capitalize on that. Trump suggested she had only recently opted to identify as a black woman,” Just the News reported. “Harris is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. She has long emphasized her Indian heritage, but Trump’s remarks nonetheless triggered a punishing news cycle and put his campaign on defense.”

Trump somewhat returned to form this week amid a stock market tumble he deemed the “Kamala crash,” asserting on Truth Social that, “Of course there is a massive market downturn. Kamala is even worse than Crooked Joe. Markets will NEVER accept the Radical Left Lunatic that DESTROYED San Francisco and California, as a whole.” He also warned of a possible “Great Depression of 2024.”

The Trump campaign could potentially connect with more voters by shifting its focus to Kamala Harris’s weaker polling areas and aligning its messaging with those issues. Analysts believe that, especially given the current economic challenges, there is a greater opportunity for the Republican message to resonate with voters.

“When Donald Trump is talking about growing the American economy, building new great cities, baby boom, no taxes on tips, Donald Trump is winning. When he gets into that petty stuff with her, he’s not winning,” Trafalgar pollster Robert Cahaly said on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast last week.

“But this campaign is no longer about stirring up the base to fever pitch, it is about delivering a message that looks presidential, that is in keeping with his values. When Donald Trump explains trade abuse, and how it affects people, they’re more likely to be supportive of his tariff plan,” Cahaly said. “And when he talks about… the decline in small-town America and the Rust Belt, because, you know, jobs are shipped overseas… And so when he’s talking about that, I think he is really effective,” Cahaly added.