Kamala Harris condemns Trump’s abortion comments in her first solo TV interview | US elections 2024

Kamala Harris gave her first one-on-one interview as a Democratic presidential candidate on Wednesday, outlining her plans to strengthen the middle class and condemning her rival Donald Trump for his comments on abortion.

In an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the vice president portrayed Trump as a candidate who focuses on the rich rather than the middle class, and said Ruhle himself is better equipped to handle the economic situation.

“The leading economists in our country have compared our plans and say mine would grow the economy, his would shrink it,” she said during the interview.

Regarding his economic record, Harris said: “Donald Trump made a whole lot of promises that he hasn’t kept.”

Harris also expressed disdain for Trump’s comments on abortion, saying he must trust women to make their own reproductive decisions. Her comments came after Trump called himself a “protector” of women at a rally in Pennsylvania and claimed American women would “not think about abortion” if he were elected.

“Donald Trump is also the one who said women should be punished for making decisions about their own bodies and their future that are theirs to make,” Harris said.

In a lighter tone, Harris confirmed that she worked at McDonald’s, refuting Trump’s claim that she did not.

“One reason I even talk about having worked at McDonald’s is because there are people at McDonald’s trying to support a family,” she said, alluding to her economic plan to help working families.

“I think part of the differences between me and my opponent are our views on the needs of the American people and what our responsibility is to meet those needs,” Harris added.

The interview comes at a time when Harris is facing sharp criticism for the small number of media interviews she has given. Earlier this month, Axios reported that the Harris-Walz campaign has given fewer interviews than any other candidate in modern history.

Trump and JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, have used this as ammunition in their campaign speeches. On X, Vance reacted to news of Harris’ interview by saying, “This is really pathetic for a person who wants to be president. Ruhle has explicitly endorsed Harris. She’s not going to ask tough questions. Kamala is shying away from tough questions because she can’t defend her record. If you want open borders and high food prices, vote for the status quo, Kamala.”

In August, Harris was interviewed alongside Walz on CNN. The interview was moderated by Dana Bash and aired as a one-hour primetime special. After the interview, Republicans criticized the joint interview with Walz because it was pre-recorded and not live.

Since then, Harris has given a handful of interviews, mostly with local media or niche forums, including an appearance with Stephanie “Chiquibaby” Himonidis, a Spanish-language radio host and podcaster.

Harris also appeared with supporters last week at a live-streamed “Unite For America” event hosted by Oprah Winfrey.