Harris-Walz Interview Set to Air Tonight

COMPARED TO A PRIMARY CAME AND -- PRIMARY CAMPAIGN IN BETWEEN 19. ON ISSUES LIKE THE BORDER AND CLIMATE CHANGE. HOW SHOULD WE READ THE VALUES NOT BEING CHANGED? THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN IS RESPONDING BY SAYING SHE IS STILL A RADICAL LEFT LEANING DEMOCRAT. >> THAT IS GOING TO BE THE REPUBLICAN MESSAGE. SAN FRANCISCO LIBERAL. THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT. BUBBLY WHATEVER SHE SAYS, THEY'RE EITHER GOING TO SAY SHE IS FLIP-FLOPPING OR THAT IS NOT WHAT SHE AT -- WHAT SHE ACTUALLY BELIEVES. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT MOMENT. SHE DID NOT GO THROUGH THE TYPICAL PRIMARY TO BECOME THE NOMINEE. THIS HAS BEEN ON A MUCH MORE EXPEDITED COURSE. JUST TALKING ABOUT SEVERAL WEEKS REALLY SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME TO HAVE A REPORTER SIT DOWN AND QUESTION ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES FROM WHEN SHE DID RUN IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY IN 2019. AND HER OTHER POSITIONS SHE HAD AS A SENATE CANDIDATE. SHE IS MENTIONING IN THAT CLIP GANG ATTORNEY GENERAL OF -- CLIP BEING ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CALIFORNIA. KAILEY: THIS IS THE FIRST INTERVIEW SHE IS DOING SINCE BECOMING THE NOMINEE. TIM WALZ IS BESIDE HER FOR THE ENTIRE CONVERSATION. REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN QUICK TO CRITICIZE THAT DECISION. THERE IS HISTORIC PRECEDENT FOR DOING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE TWO RUNNING MATES TOGETHER. WE SAW THIS WITH CLINTON AND KAINE AND BIDEN AND OBAMA. WHY DO THIS WHEN SHE HAS BEEN FACING SO MUCH CRITICISM FOR NOT TALKING TO PRESS ENOUGH? KATE: IT IS COMMON TO HAVE THE RUNNING MATE ESPECIALLY RIGHT AFTER THE CONVENTION OR RIGHT BEFORE THE CONVENTION DEPENDING ON WHEN THE RUNNING MAN IS NAMED. THIS IS UNUSUAL BECAUSE YOU DID NOT HAVE THE GLARE OF THE MEDIA SPOTLIGHT THROUGH A LONG PRIMARY WHERE YOU HAD SOMEBODY ERR ALL OF THEIR POSITIONS AND BE QUESTIONED NOT JUST BY REPORTERS AND THE MEDIA IF YOU WILL BUT QUESTIONED BY THEIR RIVALS. THERE HAS NOT BEEN THAT. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A DEBATE. WE ARE ABOUT TO GET INTO THE FIRST DEBATE SOON. THIS IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY. THE FACT IT IS BOTH OF THEM IS NOT PARTICULARLY UNUSUAL AT THIS TIME OF A CAMPAIGN BUT IT IS UNUSUAL BECAUSE THE PRIMARY WAS AS IT WAS. IT WAS A TRUNCATED PERIOD. KAILEY: THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN MODERN AMERICAN POLITICS. THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED OR RECORDED WHILE HARRIS AND WALLS ARE IN -- HARRIS-WALZ ARE IN GEORGIA. IT COMES AT A TIME AT WHICH FOX NEWS RELEASES A POLL THAT SHOWS THEY ARE DOING BETTER IN GEORGIA. THEY HAVE HARASSED UP BY TWO POINTS IN GEORGIA AND NEVADA. ONE POINT AND ARIZONA. TRUMP UP ONE POINT IN NORTH CAROLINA. ALL THIS IS IN THE MARGIN OF ERROR BUT THIS DOES SUGGEST SHE HAS A WHITER MAP THAN JOE BIDEN DID. KATE: THAT IS TOTALLY CLEAR. SHE DOES HAVE A WHITER MAP. SENATE MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL WAS TALKING TODAY AND SAID HE THOUGHT WHAT DEMOCRATS DID WAS PRETTY SMART. HE THOUGHT JOE BIDEN WAS GOING TO LOSE. IT DOES SEEM IF YOU BELIEVE THE POLLING, THAT SEEMS THE CASE. HE WAS NOT DOING WELL IN NUMBER OF BATTLEGROUND STATES. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS HAS PICKED UP STEAM IN. THAT PROBABLY EXPLAINS WHY DO THIS BUS TOUR THROUGH GEORGIA. WHY TRY TO REACH MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY READ VOTERS BUT RED STATE VOTERS AND GOING INTO RED CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. KAILEY: IT IS NOTEWORTHY THEY HAVE BEEN TARGETING RURAL AREAS WITH A HIGH CONCENTRATION OF BLACK POPULATION. THE OTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS WHAT IT REVEALS ABOUT SENATE RACES IN SOME OF THE STATES LIKE IN ARIZONA. THEY HAVE RUBEN GALLEGO UP DOUBLE DIGITS AGAINST KARI LAKE. JACKY ROSEN WHO WAS SEEN AS A MORE VULNERABLE DEMOCRATIC SENATOR LEADING HER OPPONENT BY DOUBLE DIGITS. WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE DUMBBELL IMPLICATIONS OF THE HARRIS CANDIDACY? KATE: IT IS HARD TO KNOW IF THIS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE HARRIS CANDIDACY AND HAD A GOOD CONVENTION LAST WEEK. IS THAT COMING OFF OF THAT? BUT THE SENATE MAP, WE WANT TO SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MONTANA WHERE SENATOR JON TESTER IS PROBABLY IN THE FIGHT FOR HIS POLITICAL LIFE. WHAT ABOUT OHIO? THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A CLOSE SENATE NEXT CONGRESS AS WELL. BUT IT IS HARD TO DIRECTLY SAY IS THIS BECAUSE OF MOMENTUM FROM HARRIS, IS THIS ENTHUSIASM FROM HARRIS BEING ATOP THE TICKET? PERHAPS. IT IS NOT HURTING IN THE SENATE BATTLEGROUNDS. KAILEY: THIS IS A REMINDER THAT AS MUCH POLICY AS HARRIS MAY OUTLINE, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH SHE HERSELF COULD ACHIEVE. YOU NEED CONGRESS TO DO A LOT OF THESE THINGS. KATE ACKLEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JAKE SULLIVAN WRAPPED UP A THREE-DAY VISIT TO CHINA THAT SAW HIM TAKE PART IN TALKS AIMED AT STABILIZING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SUPERPOWERS AND SIT DOWN WITH XI JINPING. HE SPOKE TO PRESS IN BEIJING. >> IT IS RARE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF EXCHANGE. KAILEY: JOINING ME NOW FOR MORE IS NICK WADHAMS WHO LEADS OUR NATIONAL SECURITY COVERAGE. . IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE EXCHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE OVER THE LAST THREE DAYS WHILE HE WAS IN BEIJING BUT ABOUT EXCHANGES THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF A PHONE CALL BETWEEN XI JINPING AND JOE BIDEN. NICK: I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SEE IS THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION RUNNING THROUGH THE TAPE WITH CHINA BUT ALSO SAYING WE DON'T WANT ANY SURPRISES. WE DON'T WANT ANY FUNNY BUSINESS. WE HAVE AN ELECTION COMING UP. CHINA IS GOING TO BE A SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THIS CAMPAIGN GIVEN DONALD TRUMP HAS MADE CHINA BASHING PART OF HIS CAMPAIGN ACCUSING DEMOCRATS OF BEING WEAK ON CHINA. WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS A DESIRE TO MAINTAIN STEADY ORDER. KEEP THINGS SMOOTH. THERE WERE NO DELIVERABLES OUT OF THIS. THE POINT WAS THE CONVERSATION AS HE MENTIONED. THESE EXCHANGES ARE VERY RARE BUT VERY DELIBERATE. THE FACT THAT HE WENT THERE. HE SAID THE POINT WAS THE TALKS. USUALLY HE WOULD GO AND HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF ITEMS THAT GOT ACHIEVED FROM THIS THING. AT THIS POINT IT SEEMS TO BE LIKE LET'S KEEP THINGS COOL AND COLLECTED. KAILEY: SOMETHING ELSE WE HEARD FROM JAKE SULLIVAN WAS THE IDEA KAMALA HARRIS HAS THE FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE AND IT COMES TO THIS RELATIONSHIP HAVING INTERFACED WITH CHINESE LEADERS. TO WHAT EXTENT IS THAT TRUE? HOW IS THE VICE PRESIDENT INFLUENCING POLICY DECISIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE CHINA AND EXPORT CONTROLS? NICK: I DON'T THINK THING -- THE ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID SHE HAS BEEN DEEPLY IN THESE COUNCILS. . IT WAS INTERESTING AS PART OF THE EFFORT TO ESTABLISH HER FOREIGN POLICY CREDENTIALS, HER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SENT A MEMO AT ONE POINT SAYING SHE HAD MET WITH XI JINPING DURING A VISIT TO ASIA AND THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT INDICATOR OF HOW THE U.S. IS TRYING TO SHAPE THE RELATIONSHIP. THAT WAS MORE OF A HANDSHAKE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. IT IS A TELL WHEN THE ADMINISTRATION CITES THIS SHORT MEETING KAMALA HARRIS HAD WITH SHOOTING PAIN AS AN INDICATION OF HER FOREIGN POLICY CHOPS. ON THE OTHER HAND, A LOT OF PRESIDENTS HAVE COME TO OFFICE OR BEEN ELECTED HAVING HAD ZERO INTERACTION WITH CHINA. THE ONLY ONE PREVIOUSLY TO HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE THEY SERVED IN OFFICE WAS GORGE H W BUSH HE HAD BEEN THE AMBASSADOR. THIS IS NOT A PARTICULARLY NEW THING. SHE DID HAVE SOME OF THESE INTERACTIONS AS VICE PRESIDENT. THERE IS THIS NOT QUITE MYTHMAKING BUT AN EFFORT TO SAY SHE WAS DEEP IN THIS STUFF. THIS WAS POLICY THAT WAS ON A RAILROAD TRACK FOR A LONG TIME THAT SHE WOULD NOT HAVE INFLUENCED. KAILEY: IT IS ABOUT THE U.S. CHINA RELATIONSHIP. THE U.S. IS CONCERNED ABOUT CHINA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS INCLUDING RUSSIA GIVEN THE ONGOING WAR IN UKRAINE. TO WHAT EXTENT CAN WE EXPECT THIS ADMINISTRATION TO PUT PRESSURE ON CHINA IN THAT REGARD EVEN AS THEY SEEK NORMALCY ELSEWHERE? NICK: THIS HAS BEEN THE GREAT TENSION IN THIS ADMINISTRATION. ON THE ONE HAND, THEY SAY WE SEE CHINA AS BEING AN ENABLER OF THE RUSSIAN WAR IN UKRAINE. THEY HAVE NOT SAID THEY ARE PROVIDING LETHAL WEAPONRY BUT THEY ARE COMING PRETTY DARN CLOSE TO THAT LINE. THEY WANT CHINA TO CUT THAT OUT. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY DO NOT WANT TO PROVOKE ANOTHER MAJOR ROUND OF TENSIONS ESPECIALLY GIVEN THESE TWO COUNTRIES ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCE AND CHINA'S OWN ECONOMY IS STRUGGLING. THE FEAR AGAIN IS NO OCTOBER SURPRISES. LET'S NOT GET INTO ANY SORT OF MAJOR TENSION BEFORE THE ELECTION AND JUST KEEP THINGS CALM FOR THE TIME BEING. KAILEY: THANK YOU SO MUCH.