Kamala Harris says she would appoint Republican to cabinet if elected president
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The news: Kamala Harris says she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet if elected president, framing herself as the candidate for America’s middle class.
The context: Harris was joined by her running mate Tim Walz for an interview with CNN, her first major sit-down since replacing US President Joe Biden as the Democrats’ presumptive nominee last month.
The US vice president declared her priority on day one would be bolstering the middle class via expansions to the child tax credit, a federal ban on price gouging, and incentives for first-home buyers currently struggling to enter the market.
Harris also took aim at Republican nominee Donald Trump for scuppering a bipartisan immigration bill, which she said would have undermined his ability to centre his campaign on the southern border.
Pressed on her reversal on a fracking ban, which she supported when she ran for president in 2019, Harris insisted a “thriving clean energy economy” was possible without banning fracking.
Harris said there would be no change to the Biden administration’s approach to shipping weapons to Israel, stressing her support for a two-state solution and the need for a ceasefire agreement.
The Democrats looked on course for defeat under the 81-year-old Biden, especially after a catastrophic debate performance in which he appeared incoherent and confused.
But Harris’ entry into the race has galvanised the party; she now leads Trump nationally in polling and has cut his lead in a number of key battleground states.
Harris defended Biden from accusations he was no longer fit to serve, saying he had “the intelligence, the commitment, judgement and disposition” that Trump lacks. She also launched an impassioned defence of the Biden administration’s record.
The vice president said Biden offered his endorsement as soon as he told her he was dropping out of the race.
Harris, who would be the US’ first female and second black president, played down the impact of race and gender in the race, saying she was running because “I am the best person to do this job at this moment”.
What they said: “It's important to have people at the table, when some of the most important decisions are being made, that have different views [and] different experiences. I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my cabinet who was a Republican,” Harris said.
The source: CNN
