Interview with then-Senator Kamala Harris on CNN, October 2020

TRANSCRIPTION:

Reporter:

Welcome, folks, tonight we are meeting with California's Junior Senator and the Running mate of President Joseph Biden in an exclusive interview with one of Washington's most famous women. Senator Harris, would you like to start by answering this question: Why did you first get into politics?

Harris:

Hello! I thank CNN for doing this interview and I will answer that. I first got into politics because of injustice and I wanted to make a difference. It did take a long time but I feel like I have finally spread the word about how anyone can be anything.

Reporter:

Surely your becoming Joe Biden's running mate advanced this, yes?

Harris:

Yes. and after the horrible death of George Floyd's death in May this needs to be stopped.

Reporter:

More on George Floyd and the ensuing discord that followed later. In a recent interview on "60 Minutes" you laughed at a question about whether you where Progressive or Socialist. Do you have an answer, that is, are you a progressive or a socialist?

Harris:

The reason I laughed on that interview was it's just a stupid point. The Republican party is making me and Joe to be these "evil radical socialist" and even if I was it's not like it would be bad. Bernie Sanders is approved in this country.

Reporter:

I would agree with you, Sanders has recently been polled as the most popular Senator in the country. But would you be willing to answer, are you a Socialist, yes or no?

Harris:

I would say no. Doesn't mean I wouldn't side with them If I became vice president though.

Reporter:

Alright. I only bring it up because your record concerns many moderates and conservatives. After all, you co-sponsored the Green New Deal in the Senate and, according to Govtrack.us, you beat out Bernie Sanders for the most liberal member of the Senate. Do you have any comments you would like to make to moderates and conservatives who are on-the-fence about the Biden-Harris ticket?

Harris:

I would first respond to the records and yes, I do approve of many progressive ideas as I do think they are good but in my mind I don't think I am a progressive yet. And for all of those moderate and conservative undecided voters. I want to say, do you still trust the GOP after everything they have done? After all the deaths of COVID, them getting a justice who wouldn't side with the american people in the courts, and an own president who got impeached. We may not agree on polices but I will stand with you on some issues and not on some.

Reporter:

Alright. Moving on now to questions about how you would act as Vice President. As you know, the Vice President is the President of the Senate. A, how would you convey your agenda in this position and B, how would you work with the members of the Senate? On that same index which rated you the 'most liberal' member of the United States Senate, three Democrats, Senators Joe Machin, Doug Jones, and Kyrsten Sinema, who ranked more conservative then Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell. How would you keep these members of your own party unified and work with conservatives and Republicans to accomplish your's and Joe's agenda?

Harris:

As vice president Joe, me, and the rest of his cabinet will not play around with healthcare in order for political gain, we will revert every bad thing Donald Trump has done. And if I was president of the senate I would try to work with everyone including the moderate Democrats. We will unify the party with strength, integrity, and respect.

Reporter:

Speaking of your's and Joe's cabinet, can you and/or will you give any details on who will be Biden's Secretary of State, Treasury, or other offices? Furthermore, would you and Joe consider nominated moderate Republicans, such as Lisa Murkowski, Nikki Haley, or Mike DeWine for any offices, perhaps to get support of moderate members of the GOP?

Harris:

Well I will say one thing and it is the former U.N. ambassador.

Reporter:

That is an interesting piece of news, bound to be accepted be Republicans well I'm sure. Alright. Joe Biden has previous said that President Trump does not have a plan for solving the COVID-19 crisis that our nation has been faced with. What, exactly, is this plan and how would it look.

Harris:

This plan would enforce tracing of cases and shutdowns. As the american people wont like being under shutdown it will certainly help the virus be over as we are reaching the 1 year mark of this pandemic. I do agree with Joe when he says Donald has no plan. If you see most of his ads he is purposely ignoring the fact that Covid-19 exists.

Reporter:

Alright. More on policy, referencing back to an issue you mentioned early. Since the death of George Floyd, various racial groups, chiefly African-Americans but others as well, are citing need for, among other things, police and criminal justice reformed. How would you and Biden handle this issue? I have heard three options, police reform, defunding the police, and abolishing the police. Which stance do you support?

Harris:

I 100% stand by reform. The Republicans have been attacking Joe on him wanting to defund the police which my response to them is they need to actually listen. I've stated many times that I support a police reform and not defunding them.

Reporter:

Alright. Continuing on the another major issue. In recent year, tensions with Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and others have been thrust into the spotlight. How would you treat these four nations and how would you work with NATO?

Harris:

As stated by Joe Biden at the last debate I would stand up to these countries and make them pay. Another big pet peeve of mine is attack ads on Biden saying he would not stand up to China. A major role into why these attacks are false is that if he didn't have good trades with China we would go into a recession which we did earlier this year which that is another lie told by Donald Trump saying he made the best economy. Funny how Trump doesn't even know what NATO is.

Reporter:

Alright. Would you like to comment on Iran's shipping missiles to Venezuela, likely meant for any strike on the US?

Harris:

As vice president I would investigate into these matters farther. We don't want any country nuking us anytime in the future.

Reporter:

Haha, I would certainly agree! Two more questions, the first one is, as Vice President, would your foreign policies be more hawkish or more dovish, compared to Barack Obama's administration?

Harris:

I would say a little less hawkish but not too much dovish. We want people in the Biden/Harris cabinet to be very good with foreign affairs like Joe is.

Reporter:

Alright. This next and final question is kinda of two in one. The first is, would you like to comment on the recent scandals in our country, chiefly Gaffegate and the investigation regarding Hunter Biden, and second, what do you have to say to Republicans who say Biden is a 'Trojan Horse' for the far more liberal policies of yourself? And, I know I said that those would be the last ones, but I have one more, if in the unfortunate situation that Joe Biden dies in office, how are you the best person to fill his shoes in that hypothetical?

Harris:

I will answer all of these questions. In Ohio with now fmr gov. Mike DeWine I don't think he did the right thing with blaming Nikki Haley for something she couldn't have done. We still don't know if these accusations are true or not but I think that is the only thing I have against him as of right now. The Hunter Biden thing is just comedic, if you really trust Rudy Giuliani after that leaked clip your mind can't be changed. The republicans that think Joe Biden is too far to the left I say what is so wrong with being far to left? In these hard times people really need healthcare for all and jobs guarantee. The tax plan in my opinion is a very good one so it can help many american citizens that aren't in the top 1%. If unfortunately Joe Biden were to die in office I would lead like Joe Biden would. Similar to LBJ, I would do the things Joe Biden were to do and I might not be as experienced but I would try my hardest.

Reporter:

Alright, that's all folks. Thank you, Senator Harris, and good luck on Tuesday. This has been an exclusive interview on CNN with Kamala Harris, Senator and Vice Presidential nominee, Live from Atlanta. Next on CNN...