Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN Thursday that while some of her policy positions may have changed, her values have not.
In her first and only major interview since becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris said, "My values have not changed. So that is the reality of it." She added, "I believe it is important to build consensus, and it is important to find a common place of understanding of where we can actually solve problems."
Harris said, "I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed," she said. "You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed — and I have worked on it — that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time."
One of the policies in question was Harris' vow to ban fracking on her first day in office. In a 2019 Democratic debate she said, "There's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking, and starting with what we can do on Day One around public lands." Since then she's walked back those statements, noting Thursday that she had cast the tie-breaking vote to expand fracking leases.
Former President Donald Trump's campaign was quick to respond, saying in an email, "It took just a few seconds into Kamala Harris' CNN interview to admit her 'VALUES HAVE NOT CHANGED.'
The campaign then went on to list 25 of "Kamala's Values," including:
- Mass amnesty for the millions of unvetted illegal aliens she let into the country.
- Ending cash bail.
- Decriminalizing illegal border crossings.
- Free, taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegals.
- Denying illegal aliens are "criminals," denying illegal immigration is an emergency, and denying terrorists are trying to come through her open border.
Harris was accompanied at the interview by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The full interview is set to air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on CNN.
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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