Vice President Kamala Harris was criticized Friday for giving a lengthy response about her “middle class” upbringing, in which she talked about people taking pride in their lawns, but for barely answering a question about her economic policies.
In her first solo television interview since becoming the Democratic presidential candidate, Harris 6ABC in Philadelphia He asked anchor Brian Taff about a “concrete” plan to make prices lower for Americans.
“First of all, I grew up middle class,” Harris replied. “My mother raised me and my sister. She worked very hard. When I was a teenager, she finally saved up enough money to buy our first house.”
“I grew up in a community of hardworking people — construction workers, nurses, teachers — and I'm trying to explain it to people who may not have had the same experiences. A lot of people can relate to this.”
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Vice President Kamala Harris caused a stir in an interview with ABC TV host Brian Taff in Philadelphia when asked how to bring prices down. (Screenshot/6 ABC Philadelphia)
“You know, I grew up in neighborhoods where people were very proud of their lawns,” she continued, “and I was raised to believe and know that every person deserves dignity, and that we as Americans have beautiful character. You know, we have ambitions and hopes and dreams, but not everyone necessarily has access to the resources to help us realize those dreams and ambitions.”
“So when I talk about building an opportunity economy, it's really about investing in the ambition and aspirations of the American people and their incredible work ethic, and giving people the opportunity to, for example, start a small business.”
After talking more about her mother, Harris touted her mother's proposal to give start-up businesses a “$50,000 tax credit” and give new home buyers “$25,000 down payment assistance.”
“These are a few examples of what I mean when I talk about the opportunity economy, and a lot of it has to do with the community I grew up in and the people I respect who work hard and deserve to achieve their dreams and are prepared to work for them,” Harris added, without specifically answering Taff's question about lowering prices.
Voters gave Harris the win, but she praised Trump on policy, something that rubbed Trump the wrong way.
Critics accused Vice President Kamala Harris of flaunting the same “cookie-cutter” responses she gave during Friday's interview that she gave during the presidential debates. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Critics on social media slammed the response.
“This is not a parody. This is real life…the real @KamalaHarris. And she's a total joke,” Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Chang responded.
“It takes a certain kind of talent to filibuster for 90 seconds without saying anything. [at] All for what it's worth,” posted Noah Rothman, a senior writer at National Review.
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“She repeated this well-rehearsed line twice during the debate,” noted Versus Media podcast host Stephen L. Miller.
“Oh yeah, when debating inflation plans we often think about who has the nice lawn. If Kamala wins, we're doomed,” Outkick's David Hookstead wrote.
Vice President Kamala Harris avoided a question about whether Americans are better off financially than they were four years ago, when former President Donald Trump was in office. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Harris' evasive response is similar to her response to an ABC News debate when moderator David Muir asked her whether Americans are better off economically than they were four years ago.
“I was raised a middle-class kid,” Harris told Muir, “and I'm the only person on this stage who has a plan to uplift middle-class and working-class Americans. I believe in the ambitions, the aspirations and the dreams of the American people. And that's why I envisioned and I have a plan to build what I call an opportunity economy.”
She continued to tout the same proposal without answering whether Americans are better off now than they were four years ago.
