Vice President Kamala Harris faced sharp criticism from conservatives following her first sit-down interview since becoming the Democratic nominee. Conducted with CNN’s Dana Bash, the interview sparked widespread reaction, especially from Republican leaders and conservative commentators who had been urging Harris to participate in such an interview.
Throughout the interview, Harris attempted to extend an olive branch to Republicans, indicating her willingness to appoint a GOP member to her cabinet if elected on November 5th. She argued that having diverse viewpoints is valuable. Harris was joined by her running mate, Tim Walz, for the highly anticipated discussion.
Despite these gestures, many conservatives focused on her performance and answers during the interview. “Kamala Harris values diversity of opinion so much—she’s held every position on every issue herself!” Matthew Foldi, editor-in-chief of Washington Reporter, quipped on X.
DailyWire reporter Ryan Saavedra criticized Harris’s performance, stating, “Kamala Harris is so incompetent that she’s completely falling apart during a very friendly CNN interview. There is a reason that the Harris campaign hid her for roughly 40 days, allowing her to do no interviews. She’s a disaster.”
Others, like conservative Kevin Smith, mocked Harris for a minor mistake, saying, “Kamala Harris said Dana Bash’s name wrong…She must be a racist.” Some of Harris’ supporters have noted the repeated mispronunciation of her name by critics, which she pronounces “KAH-ma-la.”
Commentary on Harris’s body language also emerged, with media personality Colby Hall asking, “Why does Kamala Harris look hunched over? Her answers are strong but weird body language of looking down?”
Former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy criticized Harris’s stance on fracking, recalling her 2020 campaign pledge to ban it.
“In 2019 Kamala Harris said she would absolutely ban fracking. At present, she says she won’t ban fracking. Tonight on CNN, she said her position on a fracking ban hasn’t changed,” Ramaswamy wrote on X. “At least 1 of those 3 statements has to be false. That’s not a partisan point, it’s just logic.”
During the interview, Harris criticized Trump, contrasting him with President Biden by emphasizing Biden’s selflessness and commitment to putting the American people first. Trump and Harris are scheduled to debate on September 10 in Philadelphia in an event hosted by ABC News.
Harris’s decision to finally give an interview comes after a 40-day hiatus since President Biden announced he would not seek re-election. Meanwhile, Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have been increasing their media presence with more press conferences and interviews to draw a clear contrast with Harris.
