Harris explains in exclusive CNN interview why she’s shifted her position on key issues since her first run for president


Savannah, Georgia
CNN
 — 

Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday supplied her most expansive clarification to this point on why she’s modified a few of her positions on fracking and immigration, telling CNN’s Dana Bash her values haven’t shifted however that her time as vp offered new perspective on a few of the nation’s most urgent points.

Within the CNN unique sit-down interview, Harris additionally mentioned she would title a Republican to serve in her Cupboard if elected.

She described for the primary time President Joe Biden’s phone name informing her he was planning to desert his bid for a second time period after his disastrous debate efficiency. She stopped in need of saying she would alter Biden’s coverage towards arm gross sales to Israel.

And he or she disregarded her rival’s questioning of her racial identification, dismissing Donald Trump’s suggestion she “occurred to show Black.”

“Standard, drained playbook,” she mentioned. “Subsequent query, please.”

In all, the joint interview in Savannah along with her operating mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz – their first since changing into the Democratic presidential ticket – offered one of many clearest appears into Harris’ positions and her plans for the presidency.

Requested to explain her day-one targets ought to she win, Harris didn’t record any particular steps, like signing govt actions or orders.

As an alternative, she reiterated her concentrate on strengthening the economic system: “Initially, considered one of my highest priorities is to do what we are able to to assist and strengthen the center class.”

Within the post-convention section of the race, Harris is searching for to handle scrutiny of her document and add substance to her pitch to American voters on how she would govern if elected president.

Harris had been underneath strain to clarify her coverage positions in larger element throughout a sit-down interview. Her last-minute marketing campaign has been fueled not by detailed proposals or coverage papers however by Democrats energized by the newly aggressive election.

Pressed by Bash on her reversals on fracking and decriminalizing unlawful border crossings, Harris sought to clarify why her positions had modified.

“How ought to voters have a look at a few of the modifications that you simply’ve made?” Bash requested Harris. “Is it as a result of you may have extra expertise now and also you’ve realized extra in regards to the data? Is it since you have been operating for president in a Democratic main? And will they really feel comfy and assured that what you’re saying now’s going to be your coverage transferring ahead?”

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In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed former President Donald Trump’s remarks final month, the place he implied that she “occurred to show Black” for political functions. Harris dismissed Trump’s feedback as a part of his “standard drained playbook”.

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In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Vice President Kamala Harris addressed former President Donald Trump’s remarks final month, the place he implied that she “occurred to show Black” for political functions. Harris dismissed Trump’s feedback as a part of his “standard drained playbook”.

” data-check-event-based-preview=”” data-network-id=”” data-publish-date=”2024-08-30T00:02:43.109Z” data-video-section=”politics” data-canonical-url=”https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/29/politics/video/race-trump-kamala-harris-intv-preview-sot-bash-digvid” data-branding-key=”” data-video-slug=”race-trump-kamala-harris-intv-preview-sot-bash-digvid” data-first-publish-slug=”race-trump-kamala-harris-intv-preview-sot-bash-digvid” data-video-tags=”” class=”video-resource”>

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‘Subsequent query please’: Harris responds to Trump’s assaults in interview with CNN’s Dana Bash

Harris mentioned regardless of the shifts in place, her values had not modified.

“I feel crucial and most vital side of my coverage perspective and choices is my values haven’t modified,” she mentioned. “You talked about the Inexperienced New Deal. I’ve all the time believed – and I’ve labored on it – that the local weather disaster is actual, that it’s an pressing matter to which we must always apply metrics that embrace holding ourselves to deadlines round time.”

Her marketing campaign later mentioned Harris doesn’t proceed to assist the Inexperienced New Deal, a wide-ranging proposal to handle local weather change first launched in 2019.

Throughout a September 2019 local weather disaster city corridor hosted by CNN, Harris was requested if she would decide to implementing a federal ban on fracking on her first day in workplace.

“There’s no query I’m in favor of banning fracking, and beginning with what we are able to do on Day 1 round public lands,” Harris mentioned on the time. By the point she had turn out to be Biden’s operating mate, she had moved away from that stance and even forged the tie breaking vote to develop fracking leases, as she famous to Bash.

On Thursday, Harris pointed to the Biden administration’s Inflation Discount Act, which offered document investments in combatting local weather change, for instance of her local weather document.

“Now we have set targets for america of America and by extension, the globe, round once we ought to meet sure requirements for discount of greenhouse gasoline emissions, for instance. That worth has not modified,” she mentioned.

“What I’ve seen is that we are able to develop and we are able to improve a thriving clear power economic system with out banning fracking,” she added.

And he or she pointed to her document as California lawyer basic, when she prosecuted gangs accused of cross border trafficking, as a sign of her values on immigration.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and US Vice President Kamala Harris sit for an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday, August 29, 2024, in Savannah, Georgia.

“My values haven’t modified. So that’s the actuality of it. And 4 years of being vp, I’ll let you know, one of many elements, to your level, is touring the nation extensively,” she mentioned, pointing to her 17 visits to Georgia since changing into vp. “I imagine you will need to construct consensus, and you will need to discover a widespread place of understanding of the place we are able to really remedy issues.”

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Embracing her vow to behave as a president for “all People,” Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned in a CNN unique sit-down interview Thursday with CNN’s Dana Bash that she would appoint a Republican to her Cupboard if elected, although mentioned she didn’t have a specific title in thoughts.

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Embracing her vow to behave as a president for “all People,” Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned in a CNN unique sit-down interview Thursday with CNN’s Dana Bash that she would appoint a Republican to her Cupboard if elected, although mentioned she didn’t have a specific title in thoughts.

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Harris explains why she would title a Republican to serve in her Cupboard if elected

Sitting for a joint interview has turn out to be a convention for presidential tickets within the early weeks of the brand new partnership. Talking alongside Harris, Walz mentioned he was captivated with “the concept of inspiring America to what will be.”

He additionally defended himself in opposition to accusations he’s shaded the reality in varied elements of his resume and background, together with his navy service and in describing his household’s fertility struggles, saying he might have been imprecise in his language and “I definitely personal my errors after I make them.”

However he pushed again in opposition to Republican assaults he mentioned have been directed towards his household.

“If it’s not this, it’s an assault on my kids for displaying love for me, or it’s an assault on my canine. I’m not going to do this,” he mentioned.

For Democrats, the economic system stays a political weak point. Polls present extra voters belief Trump to deal with the economic system and tame inflation, although they’ve been narrowing since Harris entered the race.

Harris laid out an financial coverage plan earlier this month targeted on bringing down prices on meals, housing and childcare, partly by going more durable after companies. Her proposals included efforts to fight worth gouging and ramp up development of inexpensive housing.

Her plans didn’t quantity to a wholesale departure from insurance policies Biden has pursued over the course of his time period. However she has chosen to focus extra centrally on discussing affordability as a messaging technique somewhat than job creation or manufacturing features, as Biden did.

On Thursday, Bash pressed Harris to clarify why these proposals hadn’t been executed through the three-and-a-half years of the Biden administration: “Why haven’t you completed them already?

“We needed to get better as an economic system, and now we have completed that,” she mentioned, pointing to efforts on containing inflation, slicing prices for prescribed drugs and slicing taxes for households.

“There’s extra to do, however that’s good work,” she mentioned.

Harris additionally didn’t expose any daylight between herself and Biden on the Center East when requested straight if she could be doing something in a different way, together with limiting arm gross sales to Israel.

“Now we have to get a deal completed. This conflict should finish, and we should get a deal that’s about getting the hostages out,” she mentioned.

Harris voiced no remorse in describing Biden as “terribly sturdy” within the days following his disastrous efficiency on the CNN debate in Atlanta.

“He has the intelligence, the dedication and the judgment and disposition that I feel the American folks rightly deserve of their president,” she mentioned.

Describing the Sunday in July when Biden, after weeks of strain, introduced his determination to withdraw from the race, Harris mentioned she was at house making pancakes and bacon for her nieces when the cellphone rang.

“It was Joe Biden, and he advised me what he had determined to do. And I requested him, ‘Are you certain?’ And he mentioned, ‘Sure,’” she recalled, including: “My first thought was not about me, to be trustworthy with you. My first thought was about him.”

Embracing her vow to behave as a president for “all People,” Harris mentioned within the interview she would appoint a Republican to her cupboard if elected, although mentioned she didn’t have a specific title in thoughts. It revives a convention over the previous a number of many years – not embraced by Trump or Biden – of presidents naming at the least one member of the opposing celebration to their cupboard.

“I’ve received 68 days to go together with this election, so I’m not placing the cart earlier than the horse,” she mentioned. “However I’d, I feel. I feel it’s actually vital. I’ve spent my profession inviting range of opinion. I feel it’s vital to have folks on the desk when a few of the most vital choices are being made which have completely different views, completely different experiences. And I feel it might be to the good thing about the American public to have a member of my Cupboard who was a Republican.”

Harris, who not often discusses the barrier-breaking nature of her candidacy on the marketing campaign path, acknowledged within the interview there have been moments she felt the burden of historical past – together with upon seeing {a photograph} of considered one of her younger grandnieces staring on as she delivered her handle to the final week’s conference.

“I’m operating as a result of I imagine that I’m the very best particular person to do that job at this second for all People, no matter race and gender,” she mentioned. “However I did see that {photograph}, and I used to be deeply touched by it.

This story has been up to date with further reporting.

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