Kamala Harris defends policy shifts in first interview as Democratic presidential nominee
ITV News Correspondent Rachel Townsend reflects on how Kamala Harris' first televised interview of her presidential campaign was received by Donald Trump.
This was billed as the first real test for Kamala Harris in her run for presidency.
A prime time slot on an American TV network. Yes, it was with politically sympathetic CNN and it was done alongside her vice presidential running mate Tim Walz, but it was a chance to see the current vice president in a different, less scripted environment.
Straight away Harris got down to broad policy pledges.
“Day one, it’s gonna be about implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy… which include what we’re gonna do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re gonna do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re gonna do to invest in families.”
We spent most of the hour long broadcast waiting for the headline, for the drop mic moment. It never came. The closest we got was when Harris was asked about her opponent Donald Trump, specifically his comments last month suggesting the vice president “happened to turn Black” for political gain.
“Yeah” Harris acknowledged. “Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.“
This was a measured interview, with a confident delivery. There were some awkward moments, but nothing more than a little awkward. One being when Harris tried to justify a change in policy.
“My values have not changed” she repeated.
She used that line most forcefully while defending her U-turn on a fracking ban.
“Well, let’s be clear. My values have not changed. I believe it is very important that we take seriously what we must do to guard against what is a clear crisis in terms of the climate.
"What we’ve already done creating over 300,000 new clean energy jobs. That tells me from my experience as vice president we can do it without banning fracking… I’m very clear about where I stand."
Harris also stood by her backing of President Biden, when she insisted, in the days before he stood down, that he was fit to serve another term in office.
"He has the intelligence, the commitment and the judgement and disposition that I think the American people rightly deserve in their president… By contrast, the former president has none of that."
Ahead of each commercial break, they teased the audience with details of how Harris first learned President Biden was dropping out of the race. It was, rather dramatically billed by the channel as “the phone call that changed history”.
“And the phone rang. And it was Joe Biden. And — and he told me what he had decided to do. And I asked him, 'Are you sure?' And he said, 'Yes'. And — and that’s how I learned about it.”
For much of the interview her running mate, Tim Walz, less used to this kind of scrutiny, sat quietly, directing a supportive smile towards his potential future boss. When he was addressed, it was over the claim that he misled people over his military career.
The former school teacher responded by saying: “Well, first of all, I’m incredibly proud. I’ve done 24 years of wearing uniform of this country. Equally proud of my service in a public school classroom, whether it’s Congress or the governor.
"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 and around guns.
"So I think people know me. They know who I am. They know where my heart is, and again, my record has been out there for over 40 years to — to speak for itself."
Asked by CNN’s Dana Bash Interviewer whether he misspoke about seeing active combat, he said: “Yeah, I said — we were talking about in this case, this was after a school shooting, the ideas of carrying these weapons of war. And my wife the English teacher told me my grammar’s not always correct.”
And then it was back to Vice President Harris. And perhaps one thing that may come as a surprise was the revelation that she would be willing to work with a Republican.
“I have 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, different experiences. And I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my Cabinet who is a Republican.”
The wow moment never came but nor did the slip up. This was an opportunity for Harris to quash criticism she is unprepared for uncontrolled territory.
There are plenty in the US putting a positive spin on her performance. Whether she did enough to convince those voters still undecided is a different matter.
Donald Trump took to Truth Social to give his summary: “BORING!!!”
Want an expert briefing on US politics and the presidential race? Listen to our latest podcast Talking Politics USA.