Several supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday they hope the vice president will align with President Biden on some policy points but not on others.
Fox News Digital spoke to Democrats who gathered at Prince George’s Community College in Maryland as Biden and Harris spoke together for the first time since becoming the party’s presidential nominee.
Their speech came hours after an Axios report said Harris was seeking to put “distance” on the economy between her campaign and Biden, who has struggled in the polls on the economy for much of his term.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden appeared together hours after reports emerged that Harris was seeking to “distance herself” from Biden’s policies. (Getty Images)
“I think there are some things that are going well and some things that need to change,” said Brian Galbraith, a Harris supporter.
But he noted that the poor economic and inflation outlook that plagued the first half of the Biden administration was not a direct result of Biden’s policies, but a global phenomenon in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve been hit hard by the inflation of late, but we have to look around and realize that the same thing is happening everywhere. So whether we were Democrats or Republicans, I think we would still be facing these issues,” he said.
Another voter, surnamed Constance, said she was pleased with Biden’s economic policies but wanted Harris to focus more on voter access issues.
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Kamala Harris supporters said the vice president wants to make it easier to immigrate to the United States legally. (Fox News Digital)
“I’d like to see her follow in his footsteps, but at the same time I’d like to see her step up to the plate. It’s kind of a combination,” Constance said. “I’d like to see the economy continue to do well. [Harris] Take voting rights and human rights seriously.”
Other Harris supporters suggested they hoped the vice president would divide on issues beyond the economy.
“There are things I’d like her to change,” another woman said. “I’d like her to make it easier for immigrants to come here legally. I’d like to see a lot of poverty reduction programs.”
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“I would love to meet her,” one attendee at the event, who identified himself as Alvia Ross, told Fox News Digital. [distance herself]… I would like to see her have her own opinions on certain things.”
Two of Harris’ supporters, Johnny and Nicholas, also hoped that Harris would weave her ideas into the line the Democratic Party has been following.
“I think it should be a mix of both,” Johnny said. “I think she can bring her own ideas to the table.”
One Harris supporter who called himself “Nicholas” said he wanted Harris to “blend” her policies with traditional Democratic ideals. (Fox News Digital)
“She has the freedom to not follow the leadership line and include her own policies, but for the party and as a Democrat, I know Democrats have policies they need to focus on, so it should be a mix of the two,” the latter told Fox News Digital.
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Harris and Biden appeared together on Thursday to announce the administration’s strategy to lower Medicare drug prices.
Chants of “Thank you, Joe” were heard as Biden and Harris took the stage.
Earlier, Biden told Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy whether he would be uncomfortable with Harris distancing herself from his economic policies, saying she “won’t do that.”
