US presidential candidate Kamala Harris passed a test with her first TV interview after her nomination. But she missed some opportunities.
Kamala Harris is sitting at a plain table in the coastal town of Savannah in the south of the USA – but despite the lackluster backdrop, all eyes are on her. In her first TV interview since her nomination, the Democratic US presidential candidate defended the successes of President Joe Biden’s administration and called for a new political beginning. “What the American people deserve, in my opinion, is a new way forward and a departure from the last decade,” she said.
There were no major blunders in the half-hour interview with the US broadcaster CNN. But the 59-year-old also missed a few opportunities to score points. Her political opponent in the presidential election on November 5, Donald Trump, reacted after the interview on his mouthpiece Truth Social with one word in capital letters: “Boring.”
The joint interview with her running mate Tim Walz was a real test for the Democrat. It was recorded during a campaign tour in the state of Georgia and broadcast a few hours later. She did not use the opportunity to make a strong start to the first question. Journalist Dana Bash asked Harris what her plans were for her first day in office. Harris remained vague and said that she wanted to strengthen the middle class.
Kamala Harris defends change of course
In the interview, Harris also had to explain why she had made a U-turn in some areas – for example on the subject of fracking. Harris had once spoken out against the extraction of natural gas through fracking, but now she says: “I will not ban fracking.” This is one of the issues for which Trump has repeatedly attacked her – just like on the subject of migration. Here, too, Harris had to defend her performance as US Vice President in this area in the interview.
She also announced that if she wins the election she would like to bring a Republican into her cabinet. “I still have 68 days until the election, so I don’t want to put the cart before the horse,” the 59-year-old said in the interview.
But she is convinced that it is important that people with different views and different experiences sit at the table when making the most important decisions, Harris said. “And I think it would be beneficial for the American public to have a member of my cabinet who is a Republican.”
“Next question, please.”
Harris described Trump’s statements about her identity as a black American as “the same old, stale ploy”. – “Next question, please.” Harris is the first woman, the first black person and the first American of Asian descent to be sworn in as US Vice President. Harris has made her origins and gender virtually non-existent in the election campaign – this is also reflected in her brief answer in the interview. Trump repeatedly attacks the Democrat in sexist and racist terms.
There is a lot at stake for Harris. She has given TV interviews in her role as US Vice President, but many people don’t necessarily remember them fondly. She was then able to score points again with an interview after Biden’s disastrous TV debate against Trump in June. Not only did she appear confident, but she also loyally stood behind her boss. She defended him again and made it clear that she did not regret defending him back then.
But more than a month has passed since Biden dropped out of the race for the White House – during this time, Harris relied on choreographed appearances and skillfully avoided critical questions from the press. Criticism of this behavior came not only from 78-year-old Trump and his supporters. The CNN interview was therefore also an opportunity for Harris to sell her own message – and not just to explain the policies of her boss Biden.
Often vague and pale
Harris remained vague in many areas and seemed pale in places – but gave an entertaining insight into the day she learned of Biden’s withdrawal from the race. “My family was visiting us, including my little nieces, and we had pancakes,” said Harris. Her nieces asked her, “Auntie, can I have more bacon?” As she was doing a puzzle with her family, the phone suddenly rang and Biden informed her of his plans.
Speech by Kamala Harris: Trump’s reaction is not long in coming
With CNN, which is considered liberal, the campaigner chose a channel that is more favorable to the Democrats. Harris was interviewed by Bash, who also moderated the TV debate between Biden and Trump in June with Jake Tapper and is a seasoned political journalist. Trump often gives interviews – but primarily to channels like Fox News, which stand firmly behind him. He has made it a habit of not really answering the questions he is asked.
US election will be a close race
Harris’ running mate Tim Walz played a minor role in the interview, as expected. When asked about an incorrect statement about his military career, the governor of the state of Minnesota said that his grammar was not always “correct.” The 60-year-old Walz has significantly better popularity ratings than Trump’s running mate JD Vance. However, the running mate candidates in US presidential elections are usually not the deciding factor in voting.
The election is head-to-head between Harris and Trump. After Biden’s withdrawal from the competition, the polls for the Democrats have improved, but their lead in the national polls is within the margin of error and therefore only of limited significance. Because of the special electoral system, the decisive factors in the presidential election are the so-called swing states, in which, according to tradition, it is not clear from the outset whether the Democrats or Republicans will win. Here, Trump and Harris are almost neck and neck in some polls.
