Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with a local Philadelphia television station on Friday for the first solo interview of her 2024 presidential campaign.
Harris didn’t reveal any new policy positions or elaborate further on any of her current ones in the interview. But here are three takeaways from her first solo interview of the 2024 campaign.
Separation from Biden on economic vision
Harris touted herself as a “new generation of leadership” in contrast to President Joe Biden, her boss, saying repeatedly she wants to develop an opportunity economy.
She reiterated previous campaign messaging in which she laid out her plans for a $6,000 child tax credit for the first year of a child’s life, a $50,000 tax deduction for new businesses, and an offer of $25,000 in assistance for new home buyers.
“My approach is about new ideas, new policies that are directed at the current moment,” she said. “And also, to be very honest with you, my focus is very much in what we need to do over the next 10 to 20 years to catch up to the 21st century around, again, capacity but also challenges.”
Moderate approach to gun ownership
The vice president reiterated that she and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), are gun owners and support the Second Amendment while also pushing for certain restrictions. The statement mirrors the approach Democrats have taken against former President Donald Trump in an effort to siphon voters away from him with more moderate messaging on gun control.
Harris noted that a “majority of [National Rifle Association] members support” universal background checks on gun purchases as she does. She said her career as a prosecutor helped her understand why an assault-style weapons ban is necessary, saying she’s “personally seen what assault weapons do to the human body.”
A more moderate message on guns could help her in Pennsylvania, a state that has swung between Democrats and Republicans in past presidential elections.
Repeats belief about why voters don’t want Trump
Harris pressed her belief that she’s the more qualified candidate to unite the country, saying there’s “hate and division” coming out of Trump and his campaign. She noted that she’s supported by “over 200 Republicans,” including former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.
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Harris has touted Republican endorsements in an effort to appeal to those in Trump’s party who are unsure about their path forward. She believes she can lead better than Trump.
“I also believe that I am accurate in knowing that most Americans want a leader who brings us together as Americans and not someone who professes to be a leader who is trying to have us point our fingers at each other,” she said. “I think people are exhausted with that approach.”
