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SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris connected Thursday defended shifting distant from her immoderate of her much wide positions successful her archetypal large tv interrogation of her statesmanlike campaign, but insisted her “values person not changed” adjacent arsenic she is “seeking consensus.”
Sitting with her moving mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris was asked astir changes successful her policies implicit the years, specifically her reversals connected fracking and decriminalizing amerciable borderline crossings.
“I deliberation the astir important and astir important facet of my argumentation position and decisions is my values person not changed,” Harris replied.
The interrogation with CNN’s Dana Bash gave Harris a accidental to effort to quell disapproval that she has eschewed uncontrolled environments portion besides giving her a caller level to specify her run and trial her governmental mettle up of an upcoming statement with erstwhile President Donald Trump acceptable for Sept. 10. But it besides carried hazard arsenic her squad tries to physique connected momentum from the summons shakeup pursuing Joe Biden’s exit and past week’s Democratic National Convention.
“First and foremost, 1 of my highest priorities is to bash what we tin to fortify and enactment the mediate class," Harris said. "When I look astatine the aspirations, the goals, the ambitions of the American people, I deliberation that radical are acceptable for a caller mode forward."
The CNN interrogation was taped astatine 1:45 p.m. Thursday astatine Kim’s Cafe, a section Black-owned edifice successful Savannah, Georgia, and aired successful the evening.
Harris besides brushed disconnected Trump's questioning of her radical individuality aft the erstwhile president said she “happened to crook Black.” Harris, who is of Black and South Asian heritage, said it was the “same old, bushed playbook.”
"Next question."
She besides said she'd sanction a Republican to service successful her Cabinet if she were elected, though she didn't person a sanction successful mind.
Joint interviews during an predetermination twelvemonth are a fixture successful politics; Biden and Harris, Trump and Mike Pence, Barack Obama and Biden — each did them astatine a akin constituent successful the race. The quality is those different candidates had each done solo interviews, too. Harris hasn't yet done an in-depth interrogation since she became her party's modular bearer 5 weeks ago, though she did beryllium for respective portion she was inactive Biden's moving mate.
Harris and Walz are inactive introducing themselves to voters, dissimilar Trump and Biden, of whom radical had near-universal consciousness and opinion.
Harris said serving with Biden was “one of the top honors of my career,” arsenic she recounted the infinitesimal helium called to archer her helium was stepping down and would enactment her.
During her clip arsenic vice president, Harris has done on-camera and people interviews with The Associated Press and galore different outlets, a overmuch much predominant gait than the president — but for Biden’s late-stage media blitz pursuing his disastrous statement show that touched disconnected the extremity of his campaign.
Harris’ deficiency of media entree implicit the past period has go 1 of Republicans’ cardinal onslaught lines. The Trump run has kept a tally of the days she has gone by arsenic a campaigner without giving an interrogation and person suggested she needs a “babysitter” and that’s wherefore Walz volition beryllium there.
“I conscionable saw Comrade Kamala Harris’ reply to a precise weakly-phrased question, a question that was enactment successful much arsenic a substance of defence than curiosity, but her reply rambled incoherently, and declared her ‘values haven’t changed,’” Trump posted online.
Trump has mostly steered toward blimpish media outlets erstwhile granting interviews, though helium has held much unfastened property conferences successful caller weeks arsenic helium sought to reclaim the spotlight that Harris’ elevation had claimed.
Harris and Walz went retired connected a two-day autobus circuit done southeast Georgia that culminated with an evening rally successful Savannah. Harris run officials judge that successful bid to triumph the authorities implicit Trump successful November, she indispensable marque inroads successful GOP strongholds crossed the state.
Democrats’ enthusiasm astir their ballot successful November has surged implicit the past fewer months, according to polling from Gallup. About 8 successful 10 Democrats present accidental they are much enthusiastic than accustomed astir voting, compared with 55% successful March.
This gives them an enthusiasm borderline they did not person earlier this year. Republicans’ enthusiasm has accrued by overmuch little implicit the aforesaid period, and astir two-thirds of Republicans present accidental they are much enthusiastic than accustomed astir voting.
But astatine a packed arena connected Thursday, Harris formed her nascent run arsenic the underdog and encouraged the assemblage to enactment hard to elite her successful November.
“We’re present to talk information and 1 of the things that we cognize is that this is going to beryllium a choky contention to the end,” she said.
Harris went done a database of Democratic concerns: that Trump volition further restrict women’s rights aft helium appointed 3 judges to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped overturn Roe, that he'd repeal the Affordable Care Act, and that fixed caller immunity powers granted presidents by the U.S. Supreme Court, “imagine Donald Trump with nary defender rails.”
Her rally was concisely disrupted by demonstrators who were protesting the U.S. engagement successful the Israel-Hamas war.
The run wants the events to motivate voters successful GOP-leaning areas who don’t traditionally spot the candidates, and hopes that the engagements thrust viral moments that chopped done crowded media sum to scope voters crossed the country.
Harris has different run blitz connected Labor Day with Biden successful Detroit and Pittsburgh with the predetermination rapidly approaching. The archetypal message ballots get sent to voters successful conscionable 2 weeks.
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Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Sagar Meghani and Amelia Thomson DeVeaux successful Washington contributed to this report.
