
Two CNN hosts have criticized the lack of detail in Kamala Harris’s proposals and worried that this could allow Donald Trump to win back the White House in November. Dana Bash and Abby Phillip separately stated their concerns about Harris’s campaign, with Bash stating that she could play a drinking game based on the number of times the Vice President repeats the same lines about her middle-class background and growing up in rental properties.
Phillip said Ms. Harris “lacked specifics” and did not have “understandable” answers to questions on the economy. She highlighted the Vice President’s interview with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and said the hosts pressed Harris for specifics, but none were forthcoming. Semafor reporter David Weigel agreed and said, “What people want to hear is how do you make the prices go down.”
During the rare interview in Philadelphia, Harris addressed a number of policies and issues, including her child tax credit expansion and financial assistance for homebuyers. The Vice President appeared to cause some discomfort among audience members when she refused to back a national reparations plan for black people, saying this was a matter for Congress. The audience also seemed unimpressed by her lack of a clear response on the Middle East war and whether she would continue to support Israel as the Biden administration has.
Critics say the Vice President is treading a fine line on Israel’s war with Hamas and that she is obliged to maintain a moderate position given the duality of opinion on the conflict within her own party. Some commentators praised Ms. Harris, however, and noted that her strongest point remains her approach to abortion. Harris told the NABJ hosts that she would restore the provisions of Roe v Wade and allow people to make their own decisions.
During one notable moment, Ms. Harris insisted that she does not take black people’s votes for granted. She stated that she must earn the black vote and not assume, “I’m going to have it because I am black.” She also appeared to impress the audience with her remarks about Springfield, Ohio. Harris called the situation a “shame” and said anyone who stirs up racial division with unfounded rumors about immigrants eating pets should never “stand behind the seal of the President of the United States of America.”