Vice President Kamala Harris made a strategic choice during her recent CNN interview, opting not to engage in a verbal spar with Donald Trump, and experts believe this was a wise move.
Stephen K. Medvic, a political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College, highlighted her decision as a “smart strategic move,” emphasizing that she focused on her campaign rather than attacking her Republican opponent.
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, appeared in their first televised interview for the 2024 election, where host Dana Bash asked various questions. Notably, Harris sidestepped Trump’s personal attacks regarding her racial identity, stating, “Same old, tired playbook. Next question, please.”
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Throughout the rest of the interview, Harris briefly mentioned Trump while praising President Biden’s economic strategies. She pointed out that Biden had to take corrective measures due to Trump’s “mismanagement” during the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated the economy.
Harris also asserted that Trump “killed” a bipartisan border security bill by swaying Republicans away from it. She emphasized that while Trump made promises regarding Medicare drug price negotiations, it was the Biden administration that actually delivered on this front: “Never happened. We did it.”
Experts noted that her approach focused on presenting a positive case for her candidacy rather than relying solely on anti-Trump sentiments. Political science professor Samantha Pettey remarked that Harris effectively shifted the focus from her identity to the issues, a strategy many women politicians adopt to demonstrate their qualifications.
Meanwhile, Trump took to Truth Social post-interview to criticize Harris, asserting that he looked forward to debating her on September 10, claiming she had altered her long-held positions. He also referred to her as a “fraud” and warned that America would not accept a “WEAPONIZING MARXIST” as president.