Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, sat down Thursday for the first major television interview of their presidential campaign as the duo travels in southeast Georgia on a bus tour.
Here is the latest:
Walz Responds to Criticism of Former False Statements
CNN’s Dana Bash asked Walz about several misstatements of fact in his record, starting with how he has described his 24 years of service in the National Guard.
In a 2018 video clip that the Harris–Walz campaign once circulated, Walz spoke out about against gun violence and said, “We can make sure that those weapons of war, that I carried in war, is the only place where those weapons are at.”
Critics say Walz portrayed himself as someone who spent time in a combat zone. But a campaign spokesperson said he misspoke.
Walz replied that he was “incredibly proud” of his National Guard service.
“My record speaks for itself, but I think people are coming to get to know me. I speak like they do. I speak candidly, I wear my emotions on my sleeves, and I speak especially passionately about our children being shot in schools … I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is.”
Walz said his wife, who was an English teacher, tells him that his grammar is not always correct.
“One thing I’ll never do is, I’ll never demean another member’s service in any way. I never have. And I never will,” Walz said.
Asked about statements that appeared to indicate that he and his wife conceived their children with in vitro fertilization when they in fact used a less controversial fertility treatment, he said he believes most Americans get that it’s the Trump campaign that’s splitting hairs.
But Walz did not address Bash’s question about false statements that his staffers made in his first congressional campaign in 2006 about his arrest for drunken driving in 1995. The staffers denied that he was driving drunk, but a transcript of his court appearances shows that he and his attorney acknowledged that he was.
How Did Harris Learn Biden Was Dropping Out?
Harris explained that it was a Sunday—July 21—when she answered the phone at the vice-presidential residence in Washington. Family was visiting, including her 6- and 8-year-old nieces. They had pancakes and bacon for breakfast and were sitting down to work on a puzzle when the phone rang.
It was Biden and Harris said, “He told me what he had decided to do and … I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ and he said, ‘Yes,’ and that’s how I learned about it.”
She said she didn’t ask Biden to endorse her because “he was very clear that he was going to endorse me.”
Harris Has No Regrets Defending Biden’s Record and Reputation
“He is so smart and loyal to the American people,” Harris told CNN. “And I have spent hours upon hours with him, be it in the Oval Office or the Situation Room. He has the intelligence, the commitment and the judgment and disposition that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president.”
Harris Reiterates Her Position on Israel’s War in Gaza
Asked about Israel’s war with the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, Harris said, “I am unequivocal and unwavering in my commitment to Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself.” But the vice president also reiterated what she’s said for months, that civilian deaths are too high amid the fighting.
“Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, and we have got to get a deal done,” Harris said of the Biden administration’s efforts to help broker a cease-fire to temporarily end the fighting in Gaza. She added, “This war must end.”
Harris also promised to “work toward a two-state solution,” a policy that is also consistent with the Biden administration.
Harris Ignores Trump’s Comments About Her Race
Harris in her CNN interview chose not to respond to former President Donald Trump’s claim that she only recently began identifying as black for political purposes.
“Same old tired playbook,” Harris said. “Next question, please.”
Harris’s mother was born in India and her father in Jamaica.
Harris Pledges to Add a Republican to Her Cabinet If Elected
Harris says that she values building “consensus” and will put a Republican in her Cabinet if elected.
The vice president said on CNN that “it would be to the benefit of the American people” if she had a Republican as part of her administration’s top advisers.
But Harris paused when asked to name prospective appointees, saying she would not be “putting the cart before the horse” with more than two months left until Election Day.
Harris, who has said she would be a president representing all Americans, from all political persuasions, said she felt it “important to find a common place of understanding to where we can actually solve problems,” something that could be served by having a high-ranking Republican around her as president.
Harris Promises to Sign Bipartisan Border Bill
Harris defended the Biden administration’s record on the southern border and illegal immigration. Harris said her work in the administration was on the “root causes” in other countries that were driving the border crossings.
She noted that border crossings are down from their peaks and stressed that there was a bipartisan deal to strengthen border security that Trump, her Republican opponent, killed “because he believes that it would not have helped him politically.” Harris said she would sign the bipartisan deal if she is elected and it passes Congress.
“We have laws that have to be followed and enforced, that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally, and there should be consequences,” Harris said.
Harris Says She Will Not Ban Fracking
“As president, I will not ban fracking,” Harris said.
The Democratic nominee had said as part of her campaign for her party’s nomination in 2020 that she would ban the practice of fracking to produce oil and natural gas.
Harris indicated that her position has changed, but said her values had not and that the country could now address climate change without needing to ban fracking.
Harris Recalls Challenges of Entering White House During COVID-19 Pandemic
Asked about voters who might want to return to economic prosperity they recalled from the Trump administration, Harris noted that she and Biden were tasked first with helping the United States dig out from difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic when they entered the White House.
Harris also promoted her proposals to clamp down on price gouging and extend the child tax credit.
“First of all, we had to recover as an economy,” Harris added when asked why she had not yet implemented some of those ideas during her time as Biden’s vice president.
Harris Explains Her Plan to Grow US Economy
Asked about voters who want prices to go back to 2019 levels, Harris stressed job growth and inflation being under 3 percent annually.
But Harris also acknowledged that “the American people know” prices are too high. The Democratic nominee said she would tackle the issue of possible price gouging by supermarkets, expand the child tax credit and offer $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers to help deal with costs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.