It used to be Harris’ first primary interview because the Democratic presidential nominee. She stated she’d appoint a Republican to her Cupboard if elected, and he or she spoke back to questions on coverage shifts through the years.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Vice President Kamala Harris sat ailing with CNN for her first primary interview because the Democratic presidential nominee.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Harris stated she would appoint a Republican to her Cupboard if elected, and he or she spoke back to questions on her coverage shifts through the years.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: Essentially the most remarkable and most vital facet of my coverage standpoint and choices is my values have now not modified.
INSKEEP: With Dana Bash, she labored thru one of the vital coverage adjustments. Working for president in 2019, she stated she would oppose fracking. However within the interview, she insisted she had modified her thoughts by way of a tiny bit after in that very same marketing campaign in 2020 – that she’s been in partiality of fracking for years and would now not oppose it now. Republicans had criticized Harris for fending off interviews prior to now, which raised the stakes in this one.
MARTIN: NPR’s Asma Khalid watched the interview, and he or she is with us now. Excellent morning, Asma.
ASMA KHALID, BYLINE: Excellent morning.
MARTIN: And I wish to point out right here that you just’ve additionally interviewed Kamala Harris quite a few occasions, and also you’ve been protecting her. What used to be your primary takeaway?
KHALID: Smartly, I believe you notice on this interview that she has grown. I cruel, she is surely extra practiced in methods to interview – in how to respond to, I’m sorry, reporter questions than after I first interviewed her, however this used to be additionally a special structure. It used to be a joint interview together with her operating mate, Tim Walz. You realize, widely, Michel, this used to be now not an earth-shattering interview. Republicans and Democrats will pluck from it no matter they would like that boosts their very own preexisting perceptions of her. To a few, she is revealed as pragmatic. To others, she’s long-winded. And I believe they might pluck no matter they would like both approach in that interpretation from latter night time’s interview.
You realize, she used to be in large part providing a continuation of President Biden’s insurance policies. One branch that stuck my consideration used to be the financial system, as it is likely one of the Democrats’ greatest vulnerabilities. Many citizens stay annoyed with top costs. She said that, but additionally championed the paintings that the Biden management has executed on such things as decreasing Medicare drug costs and developing production jobs.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
HARRIS: What now we have executed to strengthen the provision chain so we’re now not depending on international governments to provide American households with their ordinary wishes – I’ll say that that’s excellent paintings. There’s extra to do, however that’s excellent paintings.
MARTIN: Did she do business in any, say, fresh proposals that one may level to as her personal?
KHALID: No longer a lot. I cruel, she used to be requested to charm out about what she would do on Time 1 as president, and he or she talked in opaque phrases about beneficial the center elegance. However, you understand, I’d additionally say that vivid coverage proposals aren’t central to how she’s campaigning. She talks about herself as being a fresh approach ahead and turning the web page on an past of destructive politics that has ruled our tradition this latter decade.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
HARRIS: The place there may be some recommendation – warped, I consider it to be – that the measure of the energy of a pacesetter is in accordance with who you beat ailing, rather of the place I consider maximum American citizens are, which is to consider that the real measure of the energy of a pacesetter is in accordance with who you raise up – that’s what’s at stake, up to any alternative component that lets speak about on this election.
KHALID: In order you listen there, I cruel, she sees this marketing campaign about persona.
MARTIN: I cruel, it sounds, clearly, like she used to be alluding to former President Trump. Did she have extra to mention about her Republican opponent?
KHALID: Smartly, she critiqued his occasion in administrative center and stated that he mismanaged the COVID disaster. But if she used to be requested to reply to disparaging feedback about her racial identification, she disregarded the query, announcing, quote, “Same old tired playbook. Next question, please.” You realize, it moves me that on this race to outline her, she does now not wish to play games on Trump’s phrases. What’s fascinating is that she and Trump have by no means truly interacted in particular person sooner than. They’re anticipated to satisfy at the debate level September 10, and that may most likely be, I believe, one of the vital remarkable moments of this truncated marketing campaign – a prospect to look how they reply to questions face-to-face, in entrance of each other and to each other.
MARTIN: This is NPR’s Asma Khalid. Asma, thanks.
KHALID: Excellent to talk with you.
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