Vice President Harris spoke to the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in Philadelphia on Tuesday, about a month after former President Trump spoke to the same group and caused a stir by questioning Harris’ race.
The event is Harris’ first solo interview with national media. It was held on NPR’s Philadelphia station, WHYY, and was moderated by three Black journalists, including Eugene Daniels of Politico Playbook, Tonya Mosley of WHYY and Gerren Keith Gainer of TheGrio. The stop marked Harris’ 13th visit to the Keystone State this year.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris is interviewed by members of the National Association of Black Journalists at the WHYY studios in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
during his Interview with NABJ in July In Chicago, Trump had sparked a storm of criticism by saying, “I didn’t know she was black until many years ago, but then she became black, and now she wants to be known as black. So, I don’t know. Is she Indian or black?”
Harris was not asked to respond to Trump’s comments Tuesday, but she criticized the former president for what moderators described as racially charged rhetoric about Haitian immigrants eating people’s pets in a small Ohio town.
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“It’s hurtful, it’s disgusting and it’s based on some old stuff that we should not have tolerance for,” Harris said of the rumors Trump is spreading. “We have to say you cannot be entrusted with standing behind the seal of the president of the United States and engaging in that work. hate speech “This is, as always, designed to divide us as a country.”
Springfield, Ohio resident Mark Sanders talks about the migrant crisis that has devastated his community. (Fox News)
When a moderator asked if some sort of federal response was needed to provide relief to the community in this case of “inexcusable racism,” Harris dodged the question.
Meanwhile, Harris also dodged questions on whether she would sign or veto a bill establishing a federal committee to study reparations for the black community. Harris said she “thinks” the federal reparations commission would be formed by Congress and, therefore, she would not need to use her power as president to study the matter at the federal level.
Harris also talked about this Black vote On Tuesday, he said he had taken a significantly different approach than the one taken by President Biden in 2020.
While campaigning for president in 2020, Biden said, “If you have trouble figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, you ain’t black.” However, Harris said Tuesday that she hopes to “earn” the vote of black people, particularly black men. “I think it’s very important to not assume that black men are in anybody’s pocket.”
In addition to race-focused topics in the interview, Harris also made comments about her economic plan, abortion, support for Israel — which she said Israel has a right to defend itself — and gun control.
“The United States certainly has a role to play in helping” Israel’s right to self-determinationHarris said during an interview Tuesday.
On the issue of gun control, Harris stood firm, saying she and fellow Democrat Minnesota Governor Tim Walz are both gun owners — true. This news came to voters during last week’s presidential debate. “We’re not trying to take away anybody’s guns, but we do need to ban assault weapons,” she said. Previously, as a presidential candidate in 2019, Harris said she thought a mandatory gun buyback program run by the federal government was “a good idea.” However, Harris’ campaign has said she no longer supports such a program.
Harris said she supports universal background checks for those seeking to legally acquire guns. When a moderator pointed out that most handguns are purchased illegally, Harris emphasized the need to close the “gun show loophole.”
“We need to address every entry point of this issue,” Harris stressed.
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Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Harris addresses members of the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia on September 17, 2024. (Reuters/Piroshka van de Wool)
Later, the moderator alluded to the second assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend. Harris indicated she had spoken to Trump to check on him.
“I’m in this election, in this race, for many reasons, including fighting for our democracy. And in a democracy, there’s no place for political violence,” Harris said. “We can and should have healthy debate and discussion and disagreement, but we should not resort to violence to resolve those issues.”
Harris was asked a follow-up question about her confidence in the Secret Service to protect her, to which Harris answered in the affirmative.
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“Not everybody has Secret Service. And there are a lot of people in our country right now who don’t feel safe,” he said. “I mean, I look at Project 2025, and I, you know, look at the Don’t Say Gay law coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now, immigrants or people with immigrant backgrounds don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now. And so, yes, I feel safe. I have Secret Service protection, but that doesn’t change my perspective on the importance of fighting for the safety of everyone in our country.”
