With the election only 28 days away, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz sat down for an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes.” They discussed a wide range of topics including ongoing wars, the economy, and immigration, while also addressing criticisms directed at them.
In the pre-taped interview, Harris faced some actual journalism, squirming awkwardly as she faced questions about her nomination, and was asked to clarify her shifting positions on fracking, border security, and other policy flip-flops.
“I have been traveling our country, and I have been listening to folks and seeking what is possible in terms of common ground,” Harris responded.
“I believe in building consensus.”
This might be the worst television interview by a candidate in U.S. presidential history.
Bill Whitaker: “You’ve changed your positions so much that no one believes anything.”
Harris: “Well, I’m the vice president and I travel a lot.”pic.twitter.com/5T33OawnD5
— Tim Murtaugh (@TimMurtaugh) October 8, 2024
As Emel Akan writes at The Epoch Times, the prime-time special on CBS is part of the Harris campaign’s final push to sway independent voters. According to recent polls, Harris and former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, are tied in all seven battleground states.
In prior interviews, Harris stunned people by revealing that she owned a gun.
“I have a Glock, and I’ve had it for quite some time,” the vice president told CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker during the interview when asked what type of gun she owned.
“My background is in law enforcement.”
When asked if she had ever fired it, Harris replied, “Of course, at a shooting range.”
My background is in law enforcement. Yes, I own a glock.pic.twitter.com/gTbjrEMCPA
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 8, 2024
The interview started with questions about the nomination process…
CBS: You were basically handed the nomination. No primary process. No votes. That's not how our system was intended to work.
KAMALA: "I am proud to have earned the support."
CBS: People don't even know who you are.
KAMALA: "I've been in this race for 70 days!" pic.twitter.com/j0U3hiPExv
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 8, 2024
The interview then moved on to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, particularly following Iran’s missile attacks on Israel in retaliation for Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
Kamala claims she considers Iran to be our "greatest adversary."
Except Kamala and Biden have enriched Iran with HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of dollars — allowing Iran and its proxies to repeatedly attack and kill U.S. troops and our allies.
Under President Trump, Iran was BROKE. pic.twitter.com/dDUNV1eDTY
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 8, 2024
The Israeli government pledged to retaliate, although it’s unclear if it will target the Iranian leadership and its nuclear program. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been seeking to avoid a full-fledged conflict in the Middle East.
When asked whether the administration has lost its sway over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Harris said:
“We’re not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
Harris was also asked about how she planned to end the war in Ukraine and what success would mean for her.
“There will be no success in ending that war without Ukraine and the U.N. Charter participating in what that success looks like,” she responded.
The vice president also stated that she would not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin bilaterally without Ukraine’s attendance.
“Ukraine must have a say in the future of Ukraine,” she said.
She criticized Trump, stating that his plan to end the war would mean “surrender.”
As far as China is concerned, no comment…
"If China attacks Taiwan, would we use military force to support Taiwan?"
KAMALA: "Bill, I'm not gonna get into hypotheticals."
She is completely clueless — and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/qU38tzvdR5
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 8, 2024
Harris also faced several questions regarding the funding of her economic plan, which included the expansion of the child tax credit.
Harris maintained her position that she would increase taxes on the wealthy.
According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the vice president’s plan is projected to raise the debt by $3.5 trillion over the next decade.
When questioned about Congress’s lack of willingness to raise taxes and how she would achieve consensus on the matter, Harris became defensive.
“I disagree with you,” she told Whitaker, noting that there are “a lot of folks in Congress” who agree with her on taxes.
“I am a devout public servant. You know that I am also a capitalist, and I know the limitations of government,” she added.
Obviously, border security came up and Whitaker actually pressed her for a real answer.
Whitaker pressed Harris on reports that the number of undocumented immigrants that came into the United States quadrupled under her watch, and questioned whether she regretted not taking authoritative action on the border sooner.
Harris responded that the first bill that the administration proposed to Congress was on immigration because it knew that in order to fix the border, Congress would need to take action. She also highlighted a more recent border security bill that was allegedly shot down by former President Donald Trump.
“It’s a long-standing problem,” Harris insisted. “Solutions are at hand, and from day one, literally, we have been offering solutions.”
Whitaker doubled down on a question about whether lifting some of Trump’s policies were a mistake, given that it led to a sudden surge in illegal immigration. In response, she pointed out that illegal immigration numbers in 2024 are down.
“The policies that we have been promoting are about fixing a problem, not promoting a problem,” Harris said firmly.
“But the numbers did quadruple under your watch,” Whitaker responded.
“And the numbers today because of what we have done, we have cut the flow of illegal immigration by half, we have cut the flow of fentanyl by half,” she said, speaking over Whitaker.
“We need Congress to be able to act, to actually fix the problem.”
Kamala Harris is asked THREE TIMES if it was a mistake to allow millions of illegal aliens to cross our southern border.
Every single time she deflects, shifts blame, and claims she took steps to fix the problem.
Get ready to be gaslit like never before. pic.twitter.com/SfrBdv6j7N
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 8, 2024
In a separate interview with 60 Minutes, Walz was asked whether he could be trusted after falsely claiming he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
“I can. I think I can,” Walz stated.
“I will own up to being a knucklehead at times, but the folks closest to me know that I keep my word.”
During the interview, the Harris team sent out an email urging donors to support her campaign.
“The New York Times recently released polls of Georgia, Arizona, and North Carolina. Unfortunately, Trump leads in all three states,” the email said, requesting donors to contribute $25 to help meet their fundraising goals.
Trump declined to participate in an interview with “60 Minutes” for its election special. According to the network, he changed his mind after initially agreeing to a sit-down at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last Thursday. The communications director for the Trump campaign, Steven Cheung, said on Oct. 1 that despite initial discussions, “nothing was ever scheduled or locked in.”