In her first significant televised appearance as a presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris explained abandoning some of her more liberal stances while maintaining that her moral principles have not altered despite her desire for agreement.
Harris was questioned on Thursday about policy changes over the years while seated alongside her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. She was notably questioned about her reversals on fracking and decriminalisation of illegal border crossings.
Harris retorted, “I think my values have not changed, and that is the most important and significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions.”
Prior to her September 10 debate with former President Donald Trump, Harris used the interview with CNN’s Dana Bash to try to address criticism that she has shied away from uncontrolled environments. It also gave her a new platform to define her campaign and gauge her political acumen. However, there was a risk involved as her campaign looks to capitalise on the enthusiasm from last week’s Democratic National Convention and the ticket shakeup that followed Joe Biden’s withdrawal.
First and foremost, Harris stated, “strengthening and supporting the middle class is one of my highest priorities.” “When I look at the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people,I think that people are ready for a new way forward.”
The CNN interview was recorded in Kim’s Cafe, a Black-owned eatery in Savannah, Georgia, on Thursday at 1:45 p.m., and it was broadcast that evening.
Additionally, Harris dismissed Trump’s inquiry on her race after the former president claimed that she had a Black transformation. Harris, a person of South Asian and Black descent, claimed it was an ancient, worn-out script.
“Next question.”
In addition, she stated that if elected, she would appoint a Republican to a position in her cabinet, albeit she did not know who the nominee would be.
In politics, joint interviews during election years are customary; Biden and Harris, Trump and Mike Pence, and Barack Obama and Biden all conducted them at comparable stages of the contest. The distinction is that each of the other applicants had conducted a single interview. Although Harris sat for multiple in-depth interviews while serving as Biden’s running mate, she hasn’t conducted one since taking on the role of standard bearer for her party five weeks ago.
While most people are aware of and have an opinion about Trump and Biden, Harris and Walz are still getting to know voters.
Harris recalled the day he called to inform her that he was stepping down and would be leaving the position, saying that working with Biden was one of the greatest honours of her career.
Harris outlined a number of Democratic worries, including the possibility that Trump would further curtail women’s rights in light of his appointment of three judges to the US Supreme Court who contributed to the Roe decision, the possibility that he would repeal the Affordable Care Act, and the possibility that, given the new immunity powers granted to presidents by the US Supreme Court, Donald Trump would be unchecked.
For a little while, protesters opposing US engagement in the Israel-Hamas conflict interrupted her event.
The campaign thinks that by holding these events, voters in GOP-leaning areas who have not previously seen the candidates would be inspired to do so. They also hope that these engagements will create viral moments that break through the clutter of media coverage and reach voters nationwide.
