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Claim:
A phrase used in some speeches by Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has been falsely claimed to be the slogan of the Communist Party of the United States and to be an official slogan of her campaign. There’s several aspects to this claim to unpack.
Screenshot of a post on X falsely linking a phrase from a Communist Party article with Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.X
Fact:
No, “We’re not going back . . . forward together!” is not an official slogan of the Communist Party of the United States. It is the headline and last line in an article posted to the CPUSA website in 2021, from a speech given by Rossana Cambron, identified as the party’s co-chair .
Screenshot of an article on the Communist Party of the United States website.CPUSA
The actual CPUSA slogan, “People and planet before profits,” is shown in the top banner of the screenshot above, and a shirt with that slogan is for sale on the CPUSA site. The banner on their X account says: “People & nature before profits.”
Fact:
Yes, Ms. Harris in speeches has said similar phrases to, “We’re not going back, forward together.” But it is not an official campaign slogan. In a speech at the Democratic National Convention, she said: “We are moving forward.” At a campaign event in Pennsylvania on Sept. 17 she said: “We’re not going back because America is ready for a new way forward.”
“We’re not going back” is wording used by the Harris campaign, such as in this post to her official Facebook account.
Conclusion
It is false to claim that “We’re not going back, forward together” is the CPUSA’s slogan, and it is an exaggeration to link that phrase with Harris campaign slogans. These claims fit a pattern of painting Ms. Harris and running mate Tim Waltz in a negative light by linking them to Communism or Marxism.
Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris arrives at a campaign event in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 16.Julia Nikhinson/The Associated Press