5 excerpts from Kamala Harris and Tim Walz’s first joint interview since launching their campaign

• Kamala Harris and Tim Walz sat down for their first joint interview since Biden dropped out of the race.

• Harris discussed his changed political attitudes, and Walz discussed the review of his biography.

• The vice president also talked about his phone call with Biden when he decided to quit.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down Thursday for their first joint interview since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

It was a high-stakes moment for Harris in particular. He has faced criticism from Republicans and some in the media for largely avoiding questions from reporters since launching his presidential campaign in late July.

The interview was conducted by CNN’s Dana Bash and aired Thursday night for about 45 minutes.

Here are the five most important takeaways from the interview.

1. Harris addressed her changing positions

Harris’ shifting positions have been the subject of much talk since his 2020 presidential campaign, in which he took a variety of progressive positions on climate change, immigration and health care.

Bash first pressed him on climate change, asking about his past endorsement of the Green New Deal and his support in 2019 for a ban on fracking.

“In 2020, I made it very clear where I stand,” Harris said of fracking. “We are living in 2024 and I have not changed this position and I will not continue. I kept my word and I will keep my word.”

He explained this shift by talking about the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, the signature climate bill of the Biden administration.

“I’ve seen that we can grow and we can grow a thriving clean energy economy without denying fracking,” he said.

When asked about his past support for border “decriminalization,” Harris cited his support for — and promise to revive — the bipartisan border bill killed by Republicans earlier this year.

More broadly, Harris said his “values ​​haven’t changed.”

2. Harris said he would appoint a Republican to his board

Asked by Bash if he would appoint a Republican to his board, Harris said he would.

“I think it’s important to have people at the table when important decisions are made with different perspectives and different experiences,” Harris said. “And I think it would be in the best interest of the American public to have a Republican on my board.”

While Biden hasn’t appointed any Republicans to his cabinet, it’s not unheard of.

Barack Obama and George Bush both had opposing parties in their cabinets during their presidency. Both Biden and former President Donald Trump appointed members of the opposite party to lower-level positions.

3. Walz addressed his controversies about military service and IVF

Since becoming a vice presidential candidate, Walz has come under particular scrutiny for two personal biographies: his characterization of his military service and his apparent association of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Bash asked Walz about comments he made in 2018 suggesting he would carry weapons in war, even though he was never deployed to a war zone as a member of the Minnesota National Guard. He made the remarks while discussing his support for gun control measures. The Harris campaign has said Walz misspoke.

“I think people are going to get to know me. I talk like them. I talk openly. I wear my emotions on my sleeves and I talk with extra passion,” Walz said in an interview Thursday.

He later responded to criticism from Republicans, adding, “If it’s not this, it’s an attack on my kids for showing love to me, or it’s an attack on my dog, I’m not going to do it.”

Walz has also suggested that he and his wife used IVF to conceive the children. They actually used IUI.

Both are fertilization treatments, but the process is different: IVF involves the fertilization—and possible discarding—of embryos outside the womb, and therefore may be threatened by anti-abortion laws, while IUI is not.

“I think most Americans understand that if you’ve been through it,” Walz said. “I don’t think they are cutting hairs with IVF or IUI, I think what they are cutting hairs with is the abortion ban and the ability to deny families the opportunity to have a beautiful child.”

4. Harris said there will be no change in US policy towards Israel

As pro-Palestinian protesters and other progressives push for an arms embargo against Israel, Harris said U.S. policy toward Israel will not change.

Harris also reiterated his support for a deal that would include the release of hostages and a cease-fire in Gaza, the current position of the Biden administration.

Although Harris has largely toned down Biden’s attitude toward Israel, he has often sounded a little different from the president when talking about the conflict, including emphasizing more strongly the plight of Palestinians who suffered and died as a result of Israel’s counteroffensive.

“Israel had the right — it has the right to defend itself,” Harris said, but added, “It’s how it does it that matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”

5. Harris described the moment Biden told him he was dropping out of the race

Harris said that when Biden called to tell him he was dropping out of the race, he was doing a puzzle with his granddaughter.

“He told me what he had decided to do,” Harris said. “And I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said, ‘Yes.'”

Harris also said that Biden was very clear that he was going to support his campaign, but that he was more focused on him.

“My first thought wasn’t about me, to be honest with you. My first thought was about him,” he said.

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