①U.S. Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris pledged on Thursday that if she defeats former President Donald Trump in the November 5th election, she will select a Republican to join her cabinet; ②This is the first time that Harris has accepted a mainstream media interview since replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate over a month ago.
The Vice President of the United States and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris pledged on Thursday that if she defeats former President Donald Trump in the November 5th election, she will select a Republican to join her cabinet.
"My entire career has been about seeking different opinions," Harris said in an interview with CNN. "I think it's important to have people with different views and experiences involved in making some of the most important decisions. I think if there is a Republican in my cabinet, it will be beneficial to the American public."
But Harris did not disclose which Republican candidates she would consider.
Clearly, Harris is making efforts to appeal to Republicans who are critical of Trump. Over the past month, more and more Republicans have turned to Harris's camp.
It is noteworthy that this is the first time that Harris has accepted a mainstream media interview since replacing Joe Biden as the Democratic presidential candidate over a month ago. Her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, also participated in the interview. The interview took place earlier on Thursday and will be broadcast on CNN at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday night.
Defending the shift in policy positions
Harris had planned to compete for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, but dropped out of the race before the primaries. Her positions on some key issues have changed since the 2020 presidential campaign, such as on hydraulic fracturing and immigration issues.
Now Harris has taken a tougher stance on the immigration issue at the US-Mexico border and no longer supports the ban on hydraulic fracturing (a common method of shale oil extraction). This extraction method has created a large number of jobs in Pennsylvania, which is one of the few swing states that may determine the results of the November presidential election.
In Thursday's interview, Harris defended his apparent shift towards a centrist position on some policies.
When pressed by CNN anchor with a series of questions such as "How should voters view some of the changes you have made" and "Can what you are saying now be your future policy", Harris emphasized that despite her changed stance, her values have not changed.
"I believe that the most important aspect of my policy views and decisions is that my values have not changed," Harris said.
Harris picked two hot-button issues to illustrate her campaign: border security and climate change.
"You mentioned the Green New Deal," Harris said. "I have always believed, and have been working on this, that the climate crisis is real, it is an urgent issue, and we should take some action."
"We have done this through the Inflation Reduction Act. In terms of when we should meet certain standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we have set targets for the United States and also for the global stage."
"My values tell me that we need to do something to protect our borders, and that value has not changed," Harris continued. "I served as California Attorney General for two terms, responsible for prosecuting transnational criminal organizations and violations of US law, including firearms, drugs, and illegal immigration. My values have not changed."
Editor/Lambor