Vice President Harris was pressed on “60 Minutes” about her changing policy positions and expensive economic plans, in what was her toughest media interview since becoming the Democratic nominee.
CBS News' Bill Whitaker asked Harris about a variety of issues, including her changing stance on fracking, immigration and Medicare. At one point, Whitaker cited an opinion from the bipartisan Federal Committee for a Responsible Budget, which estimated that his plan could increase the federal deficit by more than $3 trillion.
Harris, on the other hand, argued that her plan would strengthen the economy, while former President Trump's plan would weaken it. But Whittaker repeated the question, asking how such an expensive proposal would be paid for.
“But we're dealing with the real world here,” he replied when she said he would make sure wealthy Americans pay their fair share of taxes. “How are you going to get it through Congress?”
“When I talk quietly to a lot of people in Congress, they know exactly what I'm saying, because their constituents know exactly what I'm talking about. Their constituents are firefighters, teachers, and nurses. Their constituents are middle-class, hard-working people.”
She disagreed when Whitaker said Congress had no intention of agreeing to and passing such a bill.
“I'm a godly public servant, you know that. I'm also a capitalist, and I know the limits of government,” Harris said.
Whitaker also previously supported several issues, including a ban on fracking, looser immigration policies at the border, and the concept of “Medicare for All,” which he supported when he ran for the Democratic nomination in 2020. They also asked about changes in their positions.
Whitaker asked Harris if she thought that was one of the reasons Americans said they didn't know her.
“For the past four years, I've served as Vice President of the United States, and I've traveled our country, and I've listened to people and looked at what's possible in terms of common ground. I believe in consensus. We are a diverse group of people,” Harris said.
She added, “Geographically, regionally, in terms of where we are in our context. And what the American people really want is to have a leader who can build consensus. Find compromises. , you can see that there's nothing wrong with finding common-sense solutions, as long as you don't compromise your values.”
In past interviews, Harris has responded to similar questions by saying her “values” have not changed on issues such as fracking. Her previous opposition to hydraulic fracturing, which her campaign has now said it will not support, could be important in a crisis state like Pennsylvania, where hydraulic fracturing is a critical industry.
On immigration, Whitaker pointed out that President Biden's recent crackdown on asylum seekers led to a decline in the number of illegal border crossings, which quadrupled compared to the Trump administration. Whitaker then asked why the administration didn't take such action three years ago.
The vice president responded that the first bill the Biden administration proposed to Congress was to fix the immigration system, but it was not taken up. He highlighted Trump's involvement in blocking the border proposal negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators earlier this year.
When Whitaker continued to ask why Biden didn't take steps sooner to curb immigration, Harris replied, “But we need to make sure that Congress can act to actually solve the problem.” .
Harris has been making headlines this week and is scheduled to appear on “The View” and Howard Stern's SiriusXM show on Tuesday.
She has faced widespread criticism, particularly from Mr. Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), for not giving a tougher interview. In August, Harris was interviewed on CNN along with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. She was interviewed on MSNBC last month.
President Trump declined CBS News' offer to participate in the show's traditional pre-election interviews with presidential candidates.
