Kamala Harris's First Interview as Democratic Nominee | Polls Show Tight Race with Trump

kamla Harris sat down for her first interview as the Democratic Presidential nominee on Thursday and outlined her policies on a range of key issues that may well Define the 2024 US presidential election and of course she also responded to the constant personal attacks on her by her Republican rival Donald Trump when CNN asked Harris why her policies on immigration and climate have changed since she ran for president in 2019 Harris said I think the most important aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is that my values have not changed the US vice president referred to her effort to address climate change and support of the green New Deal a democratic proposal to reduce Reliance on fossil fuels as something that remains a steadfast value when pressured about her shifting policy positions she said I've always believed and I've worked on it that the climate crisis is real and that it is an urgent matter she also pointed to the Biden administration's work on the inflation reduction act which funneled hundreds of billions of dollars to renewable energy and Electric Vehicle tax credit and rebate programs but Harris did not explain her reversal on Banning fracking a technique for recovering gas and oil from shale rock used by an industry that is particularly strong in the Battleground state of Pennsylvania in 2019 Harris had said there is no question I'm in favor of Banning fracking but she has backpedal on that view since becoming vice president on Thursday she said as president I will not ban fracking on the hot button issue of immigration Harris once held more Progressive views as a senator and in her campaign for president in 2020 she had previously advocated for the closure of immigration detention centers and decriminalization of illegal Crossings but on the subject of securing the US border kamla Harris said on Thursday my values have not changed and referenced her time Prosecuting transnational criminal organizations as California's attorney general now Trump has made attacking the Biden administration's handling of the US Mexico border a signature issue of his campaign but Harris said Trump Bears much of the plan for the border security problems that he keeps whining about she pointed to his opposition to the bipartisan border security Bill she said because he believed that it would not have helped him politically he told his folks in Congress Don't Put It Forward he killed the bill a border security bill that would have put 1500 more agents On the Border asked if she would push that bill if elected president Harris said not only push it I would make sure that it would come to my desk and I would sign it she also said she does not support decriminalizing illegally cross ing the border into the United States reversing another position that she took during her 2019 presidential run she said we have laws that have to be followed and enforced and deal with people who cross our border illegally and there should be consequences to explain her changed to view on immigration the Democratic nominee said her travels across the country as vice president had made her believe it is important to build consensus and it is important to find a common place of understanding of where we can actually solve problems kamla Harris has also committed to include someone who was a republican in her presidential cabinet she said it would fulfill her promise to be a president for all Americans she told CNN I've spent my career inviting diversity of opinion I think it's important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views there is recent president for cabinet elections that cross party lines former president Barack Obama appointed several Republicans to H ranking positions during the interview vice president kamla Harris was forced to defend the White House's economic track record as inflation and High Cost of Living prices continue to hurt Americans polls had regularly indicated that voters would prefer Trump's handling of the economy on Israel's war in Gaza Harris reiterated the White House's position that both Israel and Hamas must get a deal done and that the Palestinians deserve to have their own country neighboring Israel she said this war must end and we must get a deal that is about getting the hostages out Harris argued that Israel must have the right to defend itself but that far too many Palestinian civilians have been killed however Harris refused to commit to an arms embargo on Israel as some of her party's Left Flank have demanded kamla Harris largely Sid stepped questions around Donald Trump's claims about her racial identity last month Trump questioned Harris's racial identity suggesting she had previously identified as South Asian but happened to turn black for political purposes shaking her head Harris said Trump's remark is part of his same old tired Playbook next question please she said her refusal to comment further is in line with her campaign strategy to avoid leaning into identity politics following Trump's remarks it could also indicate how Harris might handle future challenges to her race and gender during her first debate with the former president in the month of September but Harris took Trump to the cleaners on the issue of divisive politics she said and I quote I think sadly in the last decade we've had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that's about diminishing the character and strength of who we are as Americans really dividing our nation Harris also described the moment when President Biden called her to share that he had decided to end his re-election bit when asked if she asked res endorsement Harris said my first thought was not about me my first thought was about him adding that Biden could have served again Harris said she believes history will show Biden's presidency was transformative and view his decision to withdraw from the race as one that is reflective of his character she went on to defend the Biden administration's record touting their investments in infrastructure and efforts to lower drug costs and renew relationships with allies abroad Harris's Republic opponent used a single word word in his review of the interview boring Trump wrote on Truth social the response that kamla Harris's policy proposals and Promises of a new day in American politics have been met with from many Republicans has been this why haven't those things already happened in the three and a half years that she's been vice president in fact during the interview Harris Shrugged off questions about why she had been vice president for three and a half years in the Biden Administration and had still not implemented the items in her economic plan that may give a potential opening to the Trump campaign in the days ahead while Harris said she understands the painful impact of high grocery prices she was not able to fully account for why they had risen so high under the Biden Harris Administration meanwhile a new poll suggests the Democratic Presidential nominee leads her Republican rival 45% to 41% ay iOS poll published on Thursday shows that kamla Harris is sparking new enthusiasm amongst voters and shaking up the race ahead of the 5th November election the new poll suggests Harris is picking up support among women and Hispanics