Kamala Harris fully commits to fracking stance during heated interview exchange
The vice president took part in her candidacy's inaugural interview.
TroibNews 
Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized her commitment to economic affordability as the top priority of her presidential campaign, defended her evolving policy positions, and reaffirmed her support for Israel during a CNN interview on Thursday, which was her first extensive discussion since becoming the Democratic nominee.
In the interview, Harris robustly defended her contributions to the Biden administration, suggesting her aspirations could be far-reaching if elected in November. This interview gained significant attention as she had not participated in detailed discussions with reporters since President Joe Biden's endorsement of her candidacy over a month ago.
While Harris managed to avoid any major missteps during the conversation, she refrained from presenting many specifics regarding her policies. Instead, she focused on contrasting her vision, termed a “new way forward,” with criticisms of GOP nominee Donald Trump, particularly his temperament and polarizing policies.
“There’s some suggestion, warped I believe it to be, that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down,” Harris stated. “instead of where I believe most Americans are, which is that the true measure of the strength of a leader is in who you lift up.”
When questioned about her changing stance on policies such as energy and immigration, Harris pushed back, firmly stating her change of heart regarding a fracking ban. Despite having supported a ban in 2019, she clarified that her position shifted the following year.
“I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking, as vice president I did not ban fracking, as president I will not ban fracking,” she asserted. “I’m very clear about where I stand.”
The interview coincided with a campaign bus tour through southeast Georgia, marking the initial days on the trail for Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz since the Democratic convention. Recent polls suggest Harris is either tied or slightly leading Trump in critical battleground states. Nevertheless, she has faced mounting pressure to conduct comprehensive interviews, having mainly aligned herself with Biden's agenda without specifying areas of divergence.
Harris, when pressed for further details, highlighted her primary objective as supporting the middle class by lowering everyday costs and investing in families and small businesses. However, she did not provide specific plans for achieving these goals beyond referencing an economic blueprint announced earlier this month, which aims to revive elements of the Biden administration's unfinished agenda.
She also defended the economic record of the current administration, pointing to legislation that caps insulin costs for seniors and promotes investment in American manufacturing. However, when asked if she considers “Bidenomics” a success, Harris sidestepped the question.
“I’ll say that that’s good work,” she remarked. “There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”
On foreign policy, Harris reiterated the administration’s support for Israel, stating her “unequivocal and unwavering” backing and dismissing progressive and Arab American calls to condition aid to the ally. While acknowledging that “far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” she emphasized a cease-fire deal as crucial to resolving the conflict.
Throughout the interview, Harris aimed to delineate her vision from Trump’s record, positioning herself as the candidate of change and suggesting that Trump represents an entrenched status quo. She criticized the former president for mishandling the Covid response during his term, accused him of derailing bipartisan border legislation, and argued that his candidacy perpetuates division.
“We have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans,” Harris said. “I think people are ready to turn the page on that.”
However, this strategy was somewhat undermined when she noted that Americans deserve to “turn the page on the last decade,” only to be reminded that three-and-a-half years of that period were under the Biden-Harris administration.
Harris was less inclined to discuss her previous presidential campaign, during which she held progressive views that she has since abandoned. When asked about her shift on fracking, she merely stated that she has come to believe in growing a thriving clean energy economy without an outright ban.
She also provided limited explanations regarding her changes on immigration, where she had once supported decriminalizing border crossings.
“I believe there should be consequences,” Harris stated. “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced.”
Despite these changes, she maintained that her “values have not changed,” urging voters to concentrate on the broader ideals she champions in her campaign rather than her specific policy reversals over the last five years.
Having adopted more moderate stances upon joining Biden’s ticket four years ago, Harris has largely remained aligned with the administration's views since launching her campaign, as she seeks to appeal to a wider audience beyond the Democratic base.
During the past two days in Georgia, Harris and Walz engaged with voters and visited small businesses in an area often overlooked by Democratic candidates who typically rely on support from Atlanta’s urban core. This approach aims to enhance Democratic turnout in the state, attract swing voters, and engage rural populations where Trump holds significant sway. This strategy is informed by lessons from Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia in the last election, where he won by just 12,000 votes due to strong turnout in metro Atlanta and increased support in surrounding counties.
Harris concluded her tour with a rally on Thursday afternoon at Enmarket Arena in Savannah—the first instance of a general election presidential candidate campaigning in the city since the 1990s.
In a brief moment of bipartisan outreach, Harris mentioned her intention to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in decision-making.
She also responded pointedly to Trump’s claim that she “happened to turn Black,” labeling it part of a “same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.”
Kelsey Tamborrino and Myah Ward contributed to this report.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
In the interview, Harris robustly defended her contributions to the Biden administration, suggesting her aspirations could be far-reaching if elected in November. This interview gained significant attention as she had not participated in detailed discussions with reporters since President Joe Biden's endorsement of her candidacy over a month ago.
While Harris managed to avoid any major missteps during the conversation, she refrained from presenting many specifics regarding her policies. Instead, she focused on contrasting her vision, termed a “new way forward,” with criticisms of GOP nominee Donald Trump, particularly his temperament and polarizing policies.
“There’s some suggestion, warped I believe it to be, that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down,” Harris stated. “instead of where I believe most Americans are, which is that the true measure of the strength of a leader is in who you lift up.”
When questioned about her changing stance on policies such as energy and immigration, Harris pushed back, firmly stating her change of heart regarding a fracking ban. Despite having supported a ban in 2019, she clarified that her position shifted the following year.
“I made that clear on the debate stage in 2020 that I would not ban fracking, as vice president I did not ban fracking, as president I will not ban fracking,” she asserted. “I’m very clear about where I stand.”
The interview coincided with a campaign bus tour through southeast Georgia, marking the initial days on the trail for Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz since the Democratic convention. Recent polls suggest Harris is either tied or slightly leading Trump in critical battleground states. Nevertheless, she has faced mounting pressure to conduct comprehensive interviews, having mainly aligned herself with Biden's agenda without specifying areas of divergence.
Harris, when pressed for further details, highlighted her primary objective as supporting the middle class by lowering everyday costs and investing in families and small businesses. However, she did not provide specific plans for achieving these goals beyond referencing an economic blueprint announced earlier this month, which aims to revive elements of the Biden administration's unfinished agenda.
She also defended the economic record of the current administration, pointing to legislation that caps insulin costs for seniors and promotes investment in American manufacturing. However, when asked if she considers “Bidenomics” a success, Harris sidestepped the question.
“I’ll say that that’s good work,” she remarked. “There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”
On foreign policy, Harris reiterated the administration’s support for Israel, stating her “unequivocal and unwavering” backing and dismissing progressive and Arab American calls to condition aid to the ally. While acknowledging that “far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed,” she emphasized a cease-fire deal as crucial to resolving the conflict.
Throughout the interview, Harris aimed to delineate her vision from Trump’s record, positioning herself as the candidate of change and suggesting that Trump represents an entrenched status quo. She criticized the former president for mishandling the Covid response during his term, accused him of derailing bipartisan border legislation, and argued that his candidacy perpetuates division.
“We have had in the former president someone who has really been pushing an agenda and an environment that is about diminishing the character and the strength of who we are as Americans,” Harris said. “I think people are ready to turn the page on that.”
However, this strategy was somewhat undermined when she noted that Americans deserve to “turn the page on the last decade,” only to be reminded that three-and-a-half years of that period were under the Biden-Harris administration.
Harris was less inclined to discuss her previous presidential campaign, during which she held progressive views that she has since abandoned. When asked about her shift on fracking, she merely stated that she has come to believe in growing a thriving clean energy economy without an outright ban.
She also provided limited explanations regarding her changes on immigration, where she had once supported decriminalizing border crossings.
“I believe there should be consequences,” Harris stated. “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced.”
Despite these changes, she maintained that her “values have not changed,” urging voters to concentrate on the broader ideals she champions in her campaign rather than her specific policy reversals over the last five years.
Having adopted more moderate stances upon joining Biden’s ticket four years ago, Harris has largely remained aligned with the administration's views since launching her campaign, as she seeks to appeal to a wider audience beyond the Democratic base.
During the past two days in Georgia, Harris and Walz engaged with voters and visited small businesses in an area often overlooked by Democratic candidates who typically rely on support from Atlanta’s urban core. This approach aims to enhance Democratic turnout in the state, attract swing voters, and engage rural populations where Trump holds significant sway. This strategy is informed by lessons from Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia in the last election, where he won by just 12,000 votes due to strong turnout in metro Atlanta and increased support in surrounding counties.
Harris concluded her tour with a rally on Thursday afternoon at Enmarket Arena in Savannah—the first instance of a general election presidential candidate campaigning in the city since the 1990s.
In a brief moment of bipartisan outreach, Harris mentioned her intention to appoint a Republican to her Cabinet, emphasizing the importance of diverse perspectives in decision-making.
She also responded pointedly to Trump’s claim that she “happened to turn Black,” labeling it part of a “same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.”
Kelsey Tamborrino and Myah Ward contributed to this report.
Mathilde Moreau contributed to this report for TROIB News
