5 takeaways from Kamala Harris’ first sit-down interview

In Vice President Kamala Harris’ first media interview since she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president, she defended her many reversals on policy and stuck by the Biden-Harris’ record on the economy and foreign policy.
Harris also spoke about her defense of Biden, and her time leading the administration’s efforts on immigration.
Harris was joined in the interview by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who skirted questions about how he mischaracterized his military record and a drunk driving arrest, while also pushing back against the online bullying of his son Gus after the Democratic National Convention.
CNN anchor Dana Bash was chosen by the Harris campaign to conduct the interview, which was recorded and released “in full,” Bash said.
Bash asked Harris pointed questions about her changing policy positions, and Walz about some claims he has made that were untrue, but asked few follow-up questions and didn’t ask Harris to give additional details on the so-far sparse list of policies she would champion as president.
Bash asked Harris whether she felt the Biden-Harris administration’s economic policies, dubbed “Bidenomics” by the White House, have been a success, given the “crisis of affordability” facing many Americans because of inflation.
Harris said when she and Biden first took office, their “highest priority was to do what we could to rescue America.”
“And today, we know that we have inflation at under 3%. A lot of our policies have led to the reality that America recovered faster than any wealthy nation around the world,” she said. “But you are right. Prices, in particular for groceries, are still too high. The American people know it. I know it, which is why my agenda includes what we need to do to bring down the price of groceries, for example, dealing with an issue like price gouging.”
Harris has proposed fighting inflation through price controls, while also increasing the child tax credit and giving first time homebuyers a $25,000 tax credit.
After Bash followed up on whether Harris would say that “Bidenomics” was a success, Harris didn’t respond to the question directly, instead touting the administration’s work on trying to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, and on job creation since Biden took office.
Bash asked Harris directly about her many policy reversals since running for president in 2020, including on immigration, fracking and the Green New Deal.
On energy policy, Bash asked Harris whether she still supported a ban on fracking, a big industry in swing state Pennsylvania, where Harris is polling behind former President Donald Trump.
Harris said, “No, and I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking as vice president.”
Bash responded by pointing out that Harris said, “‘No question, I’m in favor of banning fracking,’” when asked about the issue during a 2019 town hall.
Harris repeated that she would not ban fracking and said her “values had not changed,” even as some of her positions have.
“What I have seen is that we can, we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking,” Harris said.
On Harris’ other policy changes, Bash asked her, “How should voters look at some of the changes that you’ve made, that you’ve explained some of here in your policy? Is it because you have more experience now and you’ve learned more about the information? Is it because you were running for president in a Democratic primary, and should they feel comfortable and confident that what you’re saying now is going to be your policy moving forward?”
Harris said “the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions” have not changed. “You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed — and I have worked on it — that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time. We did that with the Inflation Reduction Act. We have set goals for the United States of America, and by extension, the globe, around when we should meet certain standards for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, as an example. That value has not changed.”
On Israel, Harris was adamant that she would continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself, and said she would continue to work for an end to the war and for hostages to be released.
Bash asked Harris why it took the Biden-Harris administration three-and-a-half years to change asylum rules to bring down the number of migrants entering the country illegally. Illegal migration hit record highs during Harris’ years as vice president, but came down in the months following Biden’s recent executive order related primarily to asylum claims.
Harris criticized Republicans, and Trump specifically, for blocking a border bill that had been negotiated between Republicans and Democrats.
On her stepping forward in 2019 to say that she supported decriminalizing migrants crossing the border illegally, Harris said she “believes there should be consequences,” and said she would “enforce our laws as president going forward.”
On whether she had any regrets about saying Biden was strong enough to lead the nation, Harris said she did not.
“No, not at all. Not at all. I have served with President Biden for almost four years now, and I’ll tell you, it’s one of the greatest honors of my career. Truly. He cares so deeply about the American people,” she said.
Bash pointed out that Harris and Trump have never met face to face before, saying the only time the two have even been in the same room was when Harris attended Trump’s State of the Union addresses as a senator.
She asked Harris to respond to Trump saying he “didn’t know Harris was Black.”
“Same old tired playbook. Next question please,” Harris said.
“That’s it?” asked Bash.
“That’s it,” said Harris.
Harris and Trump are scheduled to meet on Sept. 10, for a debate on ABC.
Walz responded to questions about untrue statements he made during past campaigns about his military service and a drunk driving arrest.
In 2018, Walz said, “we can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at,” when talking about guns, and also made several claims about serving in war zones during his 24 years in the Minnesota Army National Guard.
Walz said he was proud of his service in the military, and said his “grammar is not always correct.” He did not respond to false claims made in a 2006 campaign about his drunk driving arrest.
Bash also asked Walz about his son, Gus, who was clearly proud of his father during the Democratic National Convention, and who was the target of online taunting in the days following the convention.
Walz said seeing his son’s reaction made him proud and grateful to be nominated as vice president.
“You try and protect your kids. You know it brings, it brings notoriety and things, but it was just such a visceral, emotional moment that I’m just, I’m grateful I got to experience it, and I’m so proud of him,” he said.