Harris attacks Trump, defends his ideas in first interview

Vice President Kamala Harris said America was “ready to turn the page” on Trump in her first interview as a White House candidate, in which she defended her views on energy, immigration and Israel.

She accused the former Republican president of “dividing our nation” in the highly anticipated interview with CNN, on the sidelines of a campaign trip to Georgia, a key southern state.

The Democratic candidate, who has chosen a message of political reconciliation by contrast, said that “it would be a good thing for Americans to have a Republican minister in (her) government” if she wins the presidential election on November 5.

Asked about sensitive campaign issues, Kamala Harris said that if she wins, she “would not ban” hydraulic fracturing, a method of extracting hydrocarbons that has been denounced by environmentalists.

“We can grow and develop a thriving economy based on clean energy without banning fracking,” assured the vice-president, while she had said she was opposed to this technique in the past.

It is a hot topic, particularly in the highly coveted state of Pennsylvania, where the hydrocarbon sector is a major provider of jobs and income.

On immigration, one of Donald Trump's favorite themes, the 59-year-old Democrat said that there should be “consequences” for people entering the United States illegally.

The vice president, who in the past has adopted more progressive positions on these two subjects, assured that “her values ​​have not changed”.

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“I have always believed (…) that climate change is a reality, that it is an urgent issue” and that the United States must meet “targets” in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, she hammered home.

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Republicans accuse the vice president of being inconstant in his ideas.

“I can't wait to debate 'Comrade' Kamala and show what a fraud she is. Harris has changed her position on every issue,” Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform, referring to the face-off scheduled for September 10 with his rival.

The 78-year-old billionaire has been multiplying personal attacks on Kamala Harris since she entered the campaign, following the resounding withdrawal of Democratic President Joe Biden on July 21.

He had notably accused her of having “gone black” for electoral reasons.

When asked about this, Kamala Harris, born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, did not want to elaborate, considering that it was “the same old story”, and adding: “Next question, please.”

On another politically sensitive issue, she reiterated her support for Israel's right “to defend itself” and answered “no” to the question of whether, as president, she would suspend U.S. arms shipments to Israel, while the war in Gaza has been going on for nearly 11 months.

The Democrat also said that “far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed” and called for “a ceasefire.”

The race with Donald Trump remains undecided, according to polls, even though the Democratic candidate is in a better position than President Joe Biden was.

Like Kamala Harris, Donald Trump froths the “swing states”, the pivotal states that promise to be particularly contested in November, including Georgia.

The Republican candidate went to Michigan on Thursday, then Wisconsin.

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