WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris went to a Philadelphia suburb on Wednesday night for a CNN town hall, where she faced questions from undecided voters. The event was arranged after Donald Trump declined to participate in a second debate with her.
With less than two weeks to go until the election, here are some key moments from the town hall.
She left no doubt that she believes her opponent can be characterized by the far-right authoritarian ideology.
Asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper if she thinks Trump is a fascist, Harris replied bluntly.
“Yes, I do,” she said. “Yes, I do.”
Her answer came shortly after John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, used the same term to describe the Republican nominee.
Harris’ comments were a bolder version of an answer that she gave during an interview last week.
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God referred to Trump’s vision for the country as fascism and asked, “Why can’t we just say it?”
“Yes, we can say that,” Harris said.
Ever since being catapulted to the top of the Democratic ticket, the vice president has struggled with questions about how she’s different from President Joe Biden. Harris has been reluctant to distance herself from him even though voters appear eager for a change in direction.
However, Biden recently gave her a rhetorical green light to break with him more, saying she would “cut her own path” if elected.
Harris appears to have tentatively embraced the opportunity. She repeatedly said Wednesday night that she would offer “a new approach” to governing when it came to caring for the elderly and bringing down consumer costs.
“I’m not going to shy away from saying, hey, these are still problems that we need to fix,” Harris said.
The vice president doesn’t usually discuss her religion, but she revealed more during the town hall.
Cooper asked Harris to reflect on the day that Biden dropped his reelection bid and endorsed her, particularly a call that she had with her pastor.
“I needed that advice,” she said about her conversation with Rev. Dr. Amos Brown in San Francisco. “I needed a prayer.”
She also said, “I do pray every day, sometimes twice a day.”
Harris said she was raised with the understanding that “your faith is a verb,” meaning that it’s important to put beliefs into action to help others.
Harris’ background and personal life involves a blend of religions. She’s previously talked about attending services at a Baptist church and a Hindu temple while growing up in California. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish.
Candidates spend a lot of time talking about their strengths, so one of the voters asked Harris about her weaknesses.
“I am certainly not perfect, so let’s start there,” she said with a laugh.
Harris said she surrounds herself with “very smart people” whom she pushes for answers on complicated topics.
“I’m constantly saying, ‘Let’s kick the tires on that,'” she said. Harris said she’s cautious because “my actions have a direct impact on real people in a very fundamental way.”
It sounded like a classic politician dodge, like when a candidate says their biggest weakness is they care too much. But her answer hinted at real criticism that she’s faced over the years.
Sometimes Harris has been known to prepare to the point of paralysis, and she’s sometimes unwilling to take risks.
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