‘A San Francisco Radical’: Trump Campaign Rips Kamala Harris’ First Sitdown Interview Since Biden Dropped Out

Describing Kamala Harris as a “San Francisco radical,” Donald Trump’s campaign ripped into his Democratic presidential nominee on social media as the US vice president sat down for her first major TV interview on Thursday.

In the highly anticipated interview with CNN, Harris said that American voters are ready for “a new way forward” in the United States and that it is time to “turn the page” on divisions she blames on Republican rival Trump.

‘Kamala spoke for 16 minutes’

“Kamala spoke for just over 16 minutes and didn’t even address the crime crisis in this nation. She spent a mere 3 minutes and 25 seconds talking about the economy and 2 minutes and 36 seconds talking about immigration,” the Trump campaign said in a statement.

On Thursday, Harris defended shifting away from some of her more liberal positions but insisted her “values have not changed,” even as she is “seeking consensus.” Sitting with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris was asked about changes in her policies over the years.

“I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” Harris said. She went on to say: “I believe it is important to build consensus. It is important to find a common place of understanding where we can actually solve the problem.” Responding to Harris’s remarks, the Trump campaign said, “Kamala said her values ‘have not changed’ three separate times. She’s still a San Francisco radical.”

‘I look so forward to…’

In a separate social media post on Truth Social, Trump said, “I look so forward to Debating Comrade Kamala Harris and exposing her for the fraud she is. Harris has changed every one of her long-held positions on everything.” Trump’s rebuke came as Harris led him 45% to 41% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll that showed the vice president sparking new enthusiasm among voters and shaking up the race ahead of the November 5 election.

The 4 percentage point advantage among registered voters was wider than a 1 point lead Harris held over the former president in a late July Reuters/Ipsos poll. The new poll showed Harris picking up support among women and Hispanics. Harris led Trump by 49% to 36% – or 13 percentage points – among both women voters and Hispanic voters.

Trump led among white voters and men though his lead among voters without a college degree narrowed to 7 points in the latest survey, down from 14 points in July. The findings show how the US presidential race has been shaken up over the summer. President Joe Biden, 81, folded his flailing campaign on July 21 after a disastrous debate performance against Trump sparked widespread calls from his fellow Democrats to abandon his re-election bid.

(With agency inputs)