Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D), will appear for their first joint interview since rode to the top of the Democratic list about a month ago.
CNN’s Dana Bash was given the coveted task of Interview with the duo during a stopover in Georgia. The interview will air Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT on the network and its platforms.
Although Harris stopped to talk to reporters As she accompanied her on the campaign trail, she faced increasing pressure to make a major media appearance to answer pressing questions about her performance as vice president and her plans for a possible first term as commander in chief.
Here are five difficult questions Harris might be asked in an interview.
What do you regret about your handling of border issues?
Harris had a rocky start to her tenure as vice president, partly due to her work on the U.S.-Mexico border after President Biden put her in charge of addressing the root causes of migration.
Republicans have dubbed this role “border czar” to link her to the influx of migrants at the border.
Perhaps one of the most notable moments early in Harris’s term was a press conference in Mexico where she told migrants in Guatemala “not to come,” sparking derision and opposition from progressives.
This was followed by a combative interview with NBC’s Lester Holt in which she defended her decision not to visit the border, saying: “I haven’t been to Europe… I… don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
Both Harris and Biden have tried to turn their backs on Republicans by criticizing Trump and Republicans for blocking a border agreement negotiated by a group of bipartisan lawmakers with the support of the administration. Trump urged Republican lawmakers to abandon the deal, saying Biden could apply it as an election victory.
Why should Americans trust you on economic issues after the administration admitted it was surprised by the level of inflation during Biden’s term? Was it a mistake to give Powell another term?
Voters are still feeling the effects of high inflation ahead of the election campaign and see the economy as a more pressing issue than it was four years ago. Harris now faces the task of explaining how her economic program differs from that of Biden, whose approval ratings on economic issues are faltering.
Despite Biden’s impoverished marks, many economic indicators that affect ordinary people have improved over the course of the pandemic. This includes the homeownership rate, which rose 1.5 percentage points in the second quarter compared to 2019. Wages for low-income earners also rose significantly between 2020 and 2022. The average hourly wage has also risen more than the consumer price index since February 2020.
One of the most sedate economic policy allegations against the Biden administration was its assessment that post-pandemic inflation would be “transitory.” But inflation proved persistent, leading to interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve and a reduction in the central bank’s balance sheet.
Many economists concluded in 2022 that the Fed, which has repeatedly professed its “data independence,” was too tardy to start raising interest rates. Now there are fears that the Fed may also have started cutting rates too tardy after unemployment rose 0.2 percentage points in July, triggering a recession indicator.
This puts Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who was re-elected by Biden, in the crosshairs. If she wins the election, Harris will be tasked with finding a successor to Powell when his term ends in 2026.
What did President Biden do wrong regarding Gaza?
Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks divided the Democratic Party and led thousands of voters in the primaries to vote against Biden as he sought re-election.
Biden suffered political damage on this issue, especially among teenage voters and in the crucial swing state of Michigan, which has one of the largest Arab-American populations in the country.
Harris is seen as more sympathetic to the Palestinians, but has given only subtle hints of a potential falling out between her and Biden. She has spoken more openly about the suffering in Gaza than Biden, but insists on US arms aid to Israel. Yet she chose to skip Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, in which she would have played a ceremonial role as vice president.
Harris is sure to be questioned on the campaign trail about the Biden administration’s failures during the war in the Middle East. At rallies in several states, she faced her own pro-Palestinian protesters, and at one point declared, “If you want Donald Trump to win, say so.”
Democrats and activists want her to condemn Israel and the killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip with harsher rhetoric than she has done so far.
You supported a ban on fracking in your 2020 election campaign. Now you have said that you would not support a ban if elected. What has changed?
While participating in a hotly contested Democratic primary in 2019, Harris advocated a ban on fracking, a controversial method of oil and gas extraction.
“There is no question that I support a ban on fracking,” she told CNN at the time.
However, The Hill first reported last month that she would no longer support a fracking ban in her 2024 campaign. She did not explain why her stance differs from that of the last campaign.
This change of course disappointed progressive and environmentally conscious voters, although these voters are expected to continue to support her campaign. could improve their reputation in Pennsylvaniaa crucial swing state and major gas producer.
The Biden administration has not supported a ban on fracking, and Biden opposed an outright ban during his 2020 campaign.
Fracking technology was a key driver of the “shale oil revolution” that cemented the United States’ role as a leading oil and gas producer, but critics of the practice have raised concerns about climate change, earthquakes and pollution. (*5*)A 2022 study found Children living near fracking sites have a higher risk of developing leukemia.
Trump criticized Harris for her previous stance and expressed concerns about the economic impact of a ban.
You advocated for Medicare for All during your 2020 campaign. Will this be a priority during your presidency?
Harris made Medicare for All a central health issue of her 2020 presidential campaign, but did not raise the proposal as vice president, even as she took a larger role in the administration’s efforts to strengthen the health insurance program.
Since Harris’ candidacy for president, told news agencies She has no plans to push for a government-run Medicare-for-all system, which may be because she already ran into trouble on this issue in 2019.
Harris was accused of wanting to eliminate private health insurance during her first presidential campaign. As a senator from California, Harris supported Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Medicare For All legislation, which would have eliminated most forms of private health insurance.
She later clarified that her aim was not to abolish private health insurance, but to remove “waste” and “bureaucracy” from the system.
Republicans have since raised such allegations against Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). Claim at ABC News this week that Harris had not changed her position despite claims from her campaign team.
While she is proudly celebrated Results of the Medicare negotiationsHarris has not discussed her plans for health insurance. She has promised Health programs in the Biden era will grow under her leadership.
