Chicago – August 30, 2024
Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz have appeared on CNN for their first major in-depth interview since launching their bid for the United States presidency.
Harris, in particular, has faced scrutiny for avoiding a major media interview since announcing her candidacy late last month.
But on Thursday, she and Walz met CNN anchor Dana Bash in the coastal city of Savannah for an hour-long interview, as Harris campaigned across the battleground state of Georgia.
In Thursday’s broadcast, she took that promise one step further. When Bash asked if she would consider appointing a Republican to her Cabinet staff – a group of top presidential advisers – Harris immediately said yes.
“I have spent my career inviting diversity of opinion. I think it’s important to have people at the table when some of the most important decisions are being made that have different views, different experiences,” Harris explained.
“And I think it would be to the benefit of the American public to have a member of my Cabinet who was a Republican.”
Neither of the last two administrations – Trump’s and Biden’s – have appointed Cabinet members from the opposing party. The last president to do so was Democrat Barack Obama, with the appointment of Republicans like Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
After Harris joined Biden in 2020 as his running mate, she quickly retreated from that position, something she pointed out in Thursday’s interview with Bash.
“I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020, that I would not ban fracking,” she said, before adding: “As president, I will not ban fracking.”
Seeking to head off accusations that she had flip-flopped, Harris emphasised that she continues to perceive climate change as a major threat – one that can be addressed without a fracking ban.
“Let’s be clear: My values have not changed. I believe it is very important that we take seriously what we must do to guard against what is a clear crisis in terms of the climate,” Harris said.
“What I’ve seen is that we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.”
