On Thursday, August 29, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris pledged to take a tougher stance on immigration issues at the southern border of the United States during an interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash. She also stated that she would not refuse to provide weapons to Israel.
This marked the first one-on-one interview with a major news organization for Vice President Harris since President Biden announced his withdrawal from seeking re-election on July 21 and endorsed her. In the interview, she made efforts to showcase her command over various issues and help Americans understand her policy positions. With only a little over two months left until the election day on November 5th, Harris emphasized her commitment to comprehensive border legislation, tightening immigration into the United States, and vowed to “enforce our laws” to combat illegal border crossings.
“We have laws that must be obeyed and enforced, these laws can address illegal border crossers, and there should be consequences,” Harris said.
Regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Harris expressed steadfast support for President Biden’s strong support for Israel and rejected calls from some within the Democratic Party to reassess delivering weapons to Israel due to the high number of Palestinian casualties in Gaza.
Harris stressed that she supports a strong Israel but emphasized the need to reach an agreement to end the Gaza conflict and achieve a ceasefire. When asked if she would refuse to provide weapons to Israel, she responded, “No. We must reach an agreement (on ceasefire and releasing hostages).”
Harris also mentioned that if she wins the election, she hopes to include a Republican in her cabinet, stating, “I believe it is essential to have individuals with different perspectives and experiences involved in discussions when making some of the most critical decisions; having a Republican member in my cabinet would benefit the American public.”
Defending her and President Biden’s approach to handling inflation issues, Harris emphasized that they inherited an economy ravaged by a pandemic, which was poorly managed by Trump. She said they have taken significant steps to lower prices, but “prices are still too high.”
According to Reuters, since entering the 2020 election, transitioning to become the Democratic nominee to face former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, Harris has leaned towards the center on some issues. For example, she no longer advocates for a ban on fracking as this method of energy production has resolved employment issues for many people in Pennsylvania, which is one of the few swing states that could determine the outcome of the election.
Addressing concerns about a shift in her policies, Harris replied, “My values have not changed.”
Some critics suggest that Harris may not be as smooth in unscripted settings such as TV interviews; however, she appeared to have avoided any major missteps on Thursday.
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday, Harris leads Trump by 45% to 41%.
Trump responded to the CNN interview posting on the “Truth Social” website, saying, “I look forward to debating Comrade Kamala Harris and expose her deceit.”