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Vice President Kamala Harris tried to engage undecided and persuadable voters at a CNN town hall in Delaware County in the key state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday.
While she did not offer many details of policy proposals, she did talk about reaching across the political aisle as a way of contrasting herself with former President Donald Trump, who declined to join the town hall. Below are key lines from the event.
The moderator, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, got right into the allegation by Trump’s former chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, that the former president admires fascists.
There are tens of millions of Americans right now who have heard all those things, and they don’t buy it, or even if they do, they’re still going to vote for Donald Trump. He’s arguably more popular now than ever. You have 13 days to go. What do you say to those voters to convince them?
Cooper
Harris talked about the long list of former Trump aides who have raised the alarm about his foreign policy, including his generals, chief of staff and defense secretary. She encouraged people to go listen to audio of Kelly. His recent comments to The New York Times were something she consistently returned to during the town hall.
I think of it as he’s just putting out a 911 call to the American people – understand what could happen if Donald Trump were back in the White House. And this time, we must take very seriously those folks who knew him best and who were career people are not going to be there to hold him back.
Harris
Cooper asked directly if Harris thinks Trump is a fascist.
Yes, I do. Yes, I do. And I also believe that the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted.
Harris
An undecided voter asked Harris what she’d do for “anti-Trump Republicans like myself who feel left out of the polarized political landscape.” Harris responded by promising to be “a president for all Americans” and referenced her background as a prosecutor – another point she returned to repeatedly during the town hall:
I have never in my career as a prosecutor asked a victim or a witness of a crime: ‘Are you a Democrat or Republican?’ The only thing I’ve ever asked is: ‘Are you OK?’ And I do believe that is what the American people deserve in their president and not someone who makes decisions based on who voted for them, or what is in their personal interest.
Harris
Harris also noted reports that in the wake of natural disasters during his time in the White House, Trump would ask if the victims were in areas that voted for him.
For people looking for specifics on policy, Harris did not offer many details, although she did talk about a new $6,000 child tax credit for newborns and addressing housing affordability. If there was an overriding theme in her answers, it was about working together toward priorities. Here’s something she said about addressing high housing prices:
For too long, frankly, both administrations – I mean, both administrations in both parties, Democrats and Republicans – haven’t done enough to deal with the issue of housing. And we need a new approach that includes working with the private sector. I say that as a … devout public servant.
Harris
That answer came during a question from an undecided voter about groceries, the price of which are a motivating issue for many voters, but which neither Trump nor Harris has an easy answer. She mentioned a national ban on price-gouging and also argued Trump’s tariffs would hurt. Economists say the tariffs would raise prices for consumers. Trump says they would drive a new US manufacturing boom.
Donald Trump should be here tonight to talk with you and answer your questions. He’s not. He refused to come, but understand that part of his plan is to put in place a national sales tax of at least 20% on everyday goods and necessities – and that, by economists’ estimates, independent economists, would cost you as the American consumer and taxpayer an additional $4,000 a year.
Harris
Asked by an undecided voter what she would get done in Congress, Harris did not offer a single specific policy, but rather a vibe of bipartisanship.
We’ve got to get past this era of politics and partisan politics slowing down what we need to do in terms of progress in our country, and that means working across the aisle.
Harris
Cooper pointed out that on one Democratic priority, reinstitution of nationwide abortion rights, they’re unlikely to have the votes.
I think we need to take a look at the filibuster, to be honest with you.
Harris
That’s the Senate custom of requiring a supermajority of three-fifths of senators in order to end debate on policy issues. Removing it has been called the “nuclear option” of parliamentary procedure.
Harris made the case that abortion bans have hurt women, but she tried to convince people who view themselves as pro-life that it’s OK to acknowledge the post-Roe v. Wade environment is flawed.
I was with Liz Cheney this week. She is unapologetically pro-life, and will also tell you that she doesn’t agree with what’s been happening. I find that many people I’ve met who are pro-life have said to me, you know, I didn’t intend that this would happen.
Harris
She did say that on abortion, despite the obstacles on Capitol Hill to passing a new law, there can be a way to engage people across the aisle.
I know it is possible, because when you look at the midterms in so-called red states and so-called blue states, when this issue of freedom was on the ballot, the American people voted for freedom.
Harris
On one question where she has struggled in recent weeks, Harris said she would not simply continue the Biden administration but avoided dissing Joe Biden. Here’s what she told an undecided voter after talking about her experience with issues like housing, caregiving and raising children:
It’s about a new approach, a new generational leadership based on new ideas and, frankly, different experiences. I bring a whole set of different experiences to this job and the way I think about it than Joe Biden.
Harris
On immigration, she refused to say the Biden administration should have done more sooner to stop the tide of migrants at the border, instead arguing a bipartisan compromise is needed.
America’s immigration system is broken, and it needs to be fixed. And it’s been broken for a long time.
Harris
Pressed by Cooper, she said the solution needs to be the goal, not the political win.
Like, let’s just fix this thing. Let’s just fix it. Why is there any ideological perspective on – let’s just fix the problem.
Harris
Cooper asked if she still thinks Trump’s push for a border wall is “stupid” since her compromise bill includes money for a border wall.
HARRIS: I’m not afraid of good ideas, where they occurred.
COOPER: So you don’t think it’s stupid anymore?
HARRIS: I think what he did and how he did it … did not make much sense, because he actually didn’t do much of anything.
Harris had trouble saying yes or no to questions like that. Answering a question about how to keep Palestinians from getting killed by Israeli bombs, Harris, a supporter of Israel, did not directly answer. Later, she was asked by Cooper what she’d say to people who disagree with her on that issue and are thinking of supporting a third-party candidate. Her response:
I also do know that for many people who care about this issue, they also care about bringing down the price of groceries. They also care about our democracy and not having a president of the United States who admires dictators and is a fascist.
Harris
She was equally indirect during an exchange on Israel:
COOPER: Do you believe you would be more pro-Israel than Donald Trump?
HARRIS: I believe that Donald Trump is dangerous.
In an interesting moment, Harris was asked by Cooper why one of her first calls after Biden dropped out of the presidential race was to her pastor.
I needed that spiritual kind of … connection. I needed that advice. I needed a prayer. And … there’s a part of the scripture that talks about Esther and ‘a time such as this,’ and that’s what we talked about. And it was very comforting for me.
Harris
Esther was the Jewish wife of the king of Persia who saved Jews in the empire from annihilation. Harris also told Cooper she prays every day. Sometimes twice a day.
The vice president was asked by an undecided voter about what weaknesses she brings to the table. It’s a difficult question to answer off the cuff, but she said she gets too much input.
I’m kind of a nerd sometimes, I confess. And some might call that a weakness, especially if you’re, you know, in an interview, or just kind of, you know, being asked a certain question and you’re expected to have the right answer right away. But that’s how I, that’s how I work.
Harris
Harris has trouble making broad pledges. On taxes, she said she would not raise taxes on people making less than $400,000 per year.
We cannot, and I will not, raise taxes on anyone making less $400,000 a year. But we do need to take seriously the system that benefits the richest and does not help out working, middle-class Americans.
Harris
But the tax questions, she said, are too complicated to generalize at a town hall. Small business owners might make more than $400,000 but still not have their taxes raised, she suggested.
We can’t have this conversation without knowing what – it’s very complicated situation, right?
Harris
Asked about policy reversals on fracking and other issues and her view of policing – positions that were more liberal during the 2020 Democratic primary – Harris said she has gained more experience as vice president and that she will evolve in the future.
I’m never going to shy away from good ideas. And I’m not going to feel the need to have pride associated with a position that I’ve taken when the important thing is to build consensus to fix problems. I believe in fixing problems. I love fixing problems.
Harris
On banning fracking in particular, Cooper asked an important question.
“Do you think it is bad for the environment though?” he asked.
I think that we have proven that we can invest in a clean-energy economy. We can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, we can work on sustaining what we need to do to protect this beautiful Earth of ours, and not ban fracking.
Harris
Harris tried to contrast what Trump would do in office with what she will do in office, making reference to his controversial remarks about using the military against what he called the “enemy from within.”
He’s going to sit there unstable, unhinged, plotting his revenge, plotting his retribution, creating an enemies list. I’m going to tell you my list will be a list of how I address and continue to address the issues that you all are raising this afternoon and evening. It will be a to-do list about how we can impact the American people and lift up the American people and address some of the challenges that we continue to face.
Harris
Asked for her proudest accomplishment, Harris pointed to a children’s welfare bureau she helped set up in California and her work addressing maternal mortality in the US.
I have had the good fortune of, in my life as a public servant, knowing the impact that we can have. And I guess that is probably what motivates me most, because I know we can make a difference. I really do.
Harris