Kamala Harris Talks Economy in New TV Interview

Vice President Kamala Harris gave specifics on her “opportunity economy” plans in an exclusive interview Friday night with ABC News Philadelphia affiliate, suggesting that she offers a “new generation of leadership” that is focusing on “investing in areas that need a lot of work.”

On Friday, the Democratic nominee sat down with Brian Taff from the ABC news affiliate in Philadelphia—a state that Harris has been targeting heavily ahead of the November election.

“When I talk about building an opportunity economy it is very much in mind with investing in the ambitions and aspirations of the incredible American people and creating opportunity for people, for example, starting a small business,” Harris said.

Harris talked about providing $50,000 tax deduction to new startup small businesses because “nobody can start a small business with $5,000.” She will also work on the “housing supply shortage” by providing first-time homebuyers a $25,000 downpayment assistance to ensure the American dream is no longer “elusive” for young citizens. Harris said she plans to expand the child tax credit to $6,000 for young families for the first year of their child’s life.

“I was raised to believe and to know that all people deserve dignity,” Harris said. “We as Americans have a beautiful character. We have ambitions and aspirations and dreams but not everyone necessarily has the resources that allows them to fuel those dreams and ambitions.”

This election cycle, the winner will need to carry some or all of the following seven states: Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.

If there is a single prize for either party in November, it’s the Keystone State and its 19 electoral votes. An Axios analysis of ad spending suggested a combined $211 million in ads from both sides of the aisle are set to flood the airwaves.

Former President Donald Trump and his running mate Senator JD Vance made several visits to the state the past few months after Trump was the target of an attempted assassination in the state at a rally on July 13 in Butler.

In a sign of how critical Pennsylvania is, Harris unveiled her running mate in Philadelphia, its biggest city, featuring an opening speech from the state’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, that had the crowd on its feet.

Harris’ first Pennsylvania post-debate rally will be in the Scranton and Wilkes-Barre area this Friday, a crucial stopping place in the battleground state.

Polling averages from FiveThirtyEight show Harris consistently—though narrowly—beating Trump in Pennsylvania. The most recent polling, from September 12, shows Harris receiving 44 percent of the vote and Trump getting 42 percent.

The interview with ABC was Harris’ first appearance with reporters since Tuesday’s debate. About two-thirds of voters say Harris won the debate, according to a flash poll by CNN.

A Reuters/Ipsos survey released Thursday suggested Harris improved her standing in the polls after the debate, though it remains to be seen whether it will move the needle in other national and swing state surveys in the neck-and-neck race.

Harris and her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, talked with CNN for their first joint interview on August 29.

The First Interview: Harris & Walz A CNN Exclusive, which was watched by over six million viewers, sparked a lot of jokes from Trump supporters like conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.

“She needs emotional support to face the media and defend her indefensible record,” Kirk posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. “Is this a joke?”

Political commentator Chuck Callesto responded to Kirk’s post saying Harris has “zero competence” because her campaign “won’t even allow her on CNN by herself.”

The interview was taped on Thursday afternoon with CNN’s Dana Bash before it was aired that evening. This also raised complaints from Harris critics.

Bash interviewed Republican vice presidential nominee Vance earlier. She asked the Senator about Walz branding him as “weird,” while Vance claimed Harris and Walz “aren’t comfortable in their own skin.”

Along with Jake Tapper, Bash moderated the Biden-Trump debate in Atlanta in June. CNN had previously made it clear the moderators would act as facilitators, and the microphones were muted.

Trump‘s campaign had been keeping a count of the number of days since Harris talked with the media. The Republican candidate and his running mate have also mentioned it in their rally speeches.

Crisis communication expert James Haggerty previously told Newsweek that Harris was making a “mistake” by avoiding the press.

The last time Harris gave anything approaching an extended sit-down interview with a major news outlet before the CNN talk was on June 24 when the vice president spoke to MSNBC’s Morning Joe to discuss how the then-Biden campaign was preparing to attack Republicans on abortion rights.

Harris briefly spoke with reports on the tarmac at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport after a campaign event in Michigan, responding to criticism about not doing a formal press conference and saying she had planned to by the end of the month.

However, Harris was criticized for calling to reporters on her way to Air Force Two to “calm down” and asking, “What you got?” and “What else?”

Harris is expected to have another media appearance next week when she joins Oprah Winfrey with a livestream event.

Follow Newsweek‘s live U.S. Election blog for updates.

Update 09/13/24 06:20 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.