Kamala Harris participated in her first interview as a Democratic presidential candidate with CNN’s Dana Bash alongside her running mate Tim Walz on Thursday and defended her change on certain policy issues over the years and her support for Joe Biden.
In an interview taped from Savannah, Georgia earlier Thursday, the vice president said his top priority when taking office would be to “support and strengthen the middle class” by increasing the child tax credit and easing prices, among other things. on groceries and increasing the availability of affordable housing — all policies he has announced since he entered the presidential race.
Harris also recounted how the president shared with him his decision not to seek re-election probation, the first public account of that moment. She said she was making breakfast with her family, including her niece, and was just sitting down to do a puzzle when the phone rang.
“I asked him, are you sure? And he said yes. And that’s how I learned about it.” As for whether she asked for his support or if he offered it, she said, “He was very clear that he was going to support me.”
“My first thought wasn’t about me, to be honest, my first thought was about him,” he said, adding that history will remember Biden’s presidency as transformative.
Harris defended Biden, saying he had no regrets in supporting his re-election before his decision to leave the race, despite his age and accuracy. He said that serving as Biden’s vice president had been “one of the greatest honors of his career” and that Biden had the “intelligence, commitment, judgment and attitude that the American people deserve in their president,” adding that former President Donald Trump “has none of that.”
He toed the Biden administration’s line on the Gaza war, repeating remarks he made on the issue during the Democratic convention, where anti-war protests drew tens of thousands outside and ceasefire advocates tried to pressure him inside. He said he was “unequivocal and unwavering” in his commitment to Israel’s defense and would not limit US weapons sent to Israel for use in war. He added: “Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed” and said: “We need to reach an agreement” to bring home the hostages held by Hamas and end the war.
He also cited the Biden administration’s work to revive the economy after the pandemic, citing contained insulin costs, current inflation below 3 percent and an increase in U.S. manufacturing jobs. “I can say it’s a good job,” he said. “There’s still work to be done, but it’s good work.”
Harris explained his change of positions on issues like fracking and immigration by saying his “values hadn’t changed.” Regarding fracking, he said he made it clear in the 2020 debate that he no longer supports a ban and that as president he would not ban fracking. He added that he took the climate crisis seriously but believed: “We can grow a thriving clean energy economy without denying fracking.”
On immigration, Bash pointed to the moment Harris raised his hand to show he believed the border should be decriminalized and asked if he still believed that. Harris said he believes immigration laws should be enforced and enforced, noting that he is the only candidate in the race who has prosecuted international criminal organizations.
He also said he would appoint a Republican to his board if he wins, though he didn’t have a specific Republican or position in mind.
“I’ve spent my career attracting different opinions,” he said. “I think it’s important to have people at the table when important decisions are made, with different views, different experiences. And I think it would be in the best interest of the American public to have a Republican on my board.”
He quickly brushed off a question about Trump’s comments that he “happened to turn black” in recent years: “Same old, tired playbook,” he said. “Next question please.”
The interview strictly followed the self-imposed timeline Harris set for a sit-down interview, which he promised would take place by the end of August. It came less than two weeks before the first debate between Harris and Trump, scheduled for Sept. 10 on ABC.
Harris and Walz conducted the interview while on a bus ride in the Savannah, Georgia area as part of a whirlwind tour of the United States after they took the Democratic ticket.
Harris has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum for not interviewing the media since entering the presidential race. After the CNN interview ended, Republicans also criticized Walz’s joint interview and the fact that the interview was pre-recorded and not broadcast live.
Ahead of the interview, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance posted on Twitter/X: “BREAKING: Got the full Kamala Harris CNN interview,” along with a clip from the 2007 Miss Teen America pageant in which the contestant misrepresented an answer about Americans. does not know geography, wanders “like like South Africa – and Iraq, everywhere, like”.
Walz answered a few questions during the joint interview, though Harris largely led the campaign’s responses.
Walz has come under scrutiny for false claims and exaggerations he has made about his time in the National Guard and his wife’s special fertility treatments. He did not explain in depth why he made these comments, but said he spoke openly and passionately. In one comment, he claimed to have carried military weapons in combat, which he did not (he was not sent to a war zone). He said the comment came after the school shooting and his grammar wasn’t right. “I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is,” he said.
“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,” he said, referring to recent Republican attacks on him. “One thing I will never do is never disrespect another service member in any way. I never have and I never will.”
Related: ‘We’re the underdogs’: Harris tells Georgia voters ‘hard work’ can win critical swing state
Bash brought up two key moments from the Democratic convention: Walz’s teenage son Gus crying and saying “that’s my dad” as his father took the stage, and a photo of one of Harris’ nieces looking on as Harris gave his acceptance speech. .
Walz said her son’s reaction was “such a visceral moment” that she was grateful to experience.
Harris, who hasn’t talked much about how her win could shatter glass ceilings, said she was “deeply touched” by the photo and found it “very humbling” while saying: “Joken, because I think I’m the best person in this job right now for all Americans regardless of race and gender.”
It’s unclear if Harris will begin doing more media interviews as he continues on the campaign trail. As some CNN commentators noted before the interview Thursday, increasing the frequency of interviews makes it less likely that each one will become the subject of intense scrutiny and fixation, as the CNN event became.
Trump responded to the Truth Social interview by simply saying, “BORING!!!”
