Vice President Harris addressed sexism in the 2024 election on Tuesday, among a number of other topics, including the possibility of pardoning former President Trump and whether to accept concessions on access to abortion.
NBC's Harry Jackson criticized Harris for her reluctance to tout the historic nature of her candidacy, which would make her the first black, South Asian, and female president if she wins. I snuggled up to
“Well, obviously I'm a woman. I don't need to point that out to anyone,” Ms. Harris said. “What most people really care about is whether you can do the job and whether you actually plan to focus on it.”
Asked if this country was ready for a woman or a woman of color to be president, Harris said, “Absolutely.” And I see it in every aspect of life in this country. ”
The vice president also dismissed concerns that sexism played a role in the campaign. An Associated Press-NORC Research Center poll in September found that 38% of voters believed that being a woman hurt Harris' chances of winning, and that Trump's gender was a factor in his chances of winning. Only 13% of voters thought it would hurt their chances.
Harris argued that when Americans are forced to address the gender disparity in elections, they will support candidates regardless of whether they are male or female.
“If you come to any of my events, you'll see that whether it's a small event or a 10,000-person event, there are men and women at these events,” Harris told Jackson. “What I'm experiencing is that, regardless of someone's gender, I want to know that the president has a plan to cut costs, a plan to make America safer based on America's position. It's clear that the world.
When Jackson asked if sexism was a factor, Harris replied, “I don't think so.”
“My challenge is to talk to as many voters as possible, listen to their opinions, and make sure we get their votes. Everyone in this country believes that we should elect our leaders based on gender and race. I never think about it,” she said. . “Instead, that leader needs to win votes based on substance.”
Jackson also asked Harris to help Trump as the former president faces a number of legal challenges, including two federal lawsuits over classified documents and his involvement in the January 6th Capitol riot. He also asked about pardons if he takes the White House.
Harris ultimately dodged the question.
“I'm not going to get into those hypotheticals. I'm focused on the next 14 days,” Harris said, referring to the time between now and Election Day.
Jackson asked again, using the idea that some Americans think President Trump's pardons will help unite the country and move forward.
“Tell me what will help us move forward, and I will be elected President of the United States,” Harris replied sternly.
Jackson also pressed Harris on what concessions the vice president would make on the issue of abortion access if the House and Senate were controlled by Republicans.
Harris again said she would not address the hypothetical, insisting that any concessions were off the table.
“I don't think we should compromise when we're talking about the fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body,” Harris said.
“I won't go into hypotheticals because there are a lot of different scenarios that could be considered,” Harris added.
Harris also questioned how Trump again prematurely declared victory before all votes were counted, as he did in 2020. In 2024, President Trump has promised to accept the election results only if he deems them “free and fair.”
The vice president said a team is ready in case President Trump might object to the results.
“Of course. This is a man named Donald Trump, a man who tried to overturn a free and fair election and who still denies the will of the people,” Harris said. “At this point, two weeks later, the American people have very serious decisions to make about what the future of this country will be.”
The vice president gave an interview to NBC in Washington, D.C., two weeks after Election Day. Decision Desk HQ/The Hill's predictive model predicts Trump has a 52% chance of winning the election, with aggregate polls giving Harris a 48.6% lead and Trump 47.7%. It has been shown that
