In her first interview since being nominated as US presidential candidate, Kamala Harris appealed for votes from the political center. In the CNN interview on Thursday (local time), she announced that she would crack down on irregular immigration and would not ban the controversial gas and oil extraction through fracking. Harris accused her rival Donald Trump of divisiveness. The people of the USA are ready for a “new way forward.”
“I’m the best person for the job,” said the 59-year-old Harris in a joint interview with her running mate Tim Walz. The incumbent vice president specifically courted conservative middle-class people and promised to bring a Republican into her cabinet if she wins the presidential election in November.
On the important campaign issue of immigration, Harris announced “consequences” for migrants who cross the border irregularly. “I think there should be consequences,” she said. “We have laws that must be followed and enforced.” As president, she will enforce the rule of law.
Harris also commented on the controversial issue of fracking – in the USA, large quantities of natural gas are extracted using this controversial method. “As president, I will not ban fracking,” she assured. In the past, Harris had vehemently opposed fracking, which is a particularly important issue in the hotly contested state of Pennsylvania with its large shale gas reserves.
Former President Trump’s Republicans keep criticizing the Vice President for changing her mind on important issues such as fracking. Harris said in the interview that her fundamental beliefs have not changed. “I think the most important and significant aspect of my political perspective and decisions is that my values have not changed,” she said.
In the interview, Harris accused Trump of representing a program that had divided the United States. She said the people, on the other hand, were “ready for a new way forward.”
In Middle East politics, another hot topic in the US election campaign, Harris called for a ceasefire and an agreement to release the Israeli hostages. She referred to Israel’s right to self-defense, but also said that “far too many innocent Palestinians” had been killed. She wanted to continue supplying weapons to Israel. When asked whether she would change President Joe Biden’s course, she said: “No.”
In the interview, Harris also described how she found out about Biden’s withdrawal from the race for the White House. She was making pancakes with bacon with her family when Biden called her and informed her of his decision. “And I asked him, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ That’s how I found out,” Harris reported.
It was Harris’ first interview since her nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate. The Trump camp had repeatedly accused the 59-year-old of avoiding an interview since Biden dropped out of the race for the White House.
Trump called the interview “boring” on online networks. At a campaign event in the state of Michigan, he called Harris the “biggest turncoat” and made fun of her demeanor. She did not seem like “a leader” in the interview, Trump said. Harris and Trump and Harris will face off in a televised debate on September 10.
