Kamala Harris gave her first solo interview on the White House campaign trail since taking over the baton as the Democratic presidential candidate nearly two months ago.
The US vice president met with a local ABC news station in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania to discuss the economy, political fragility and gun control.
Her Republican rival, Donald Trump, said in the interview that he had “a very hard time yesterday answering the simplest questions.” Polls show that Harris and Trump are neck and neck in Pennsylvania and other battleground states ahead of the November White House election.
During the 11-minute conversation in Johnston on Friday, Harris was asked how she would lower prices for Americans. Inflation has fallen since rising to a 40-year high at Biden’s inauguration, and unemployment is at historic lows.
She said she would give small business owners a $50,000 (£38,000) tax credit for starting their businesses and give first-time home buyers a $25,000 down payment. It is unclear how much the plan would cost and who would qualify.
Last month, Harris proposed “the first federal ban on food price gouging,” but did not mention the idea in Friday’s interview. This sparked backlash from economists and business groups, with President Trump likening it to Soviet-style price controls.
Harris told a local ABC station on Friday that she supports constitutional gun rights but wants to see a ban on semi-automatic rifles.
“I strongly believe it’s consistent with the Second Amendment and the right to own a gun to say we also need a ban on assault weapons,” she said. “They’re literally tools of war.”
Harris went on to slam Trump, saying the American people need someone who will unite the country, unlike his rivals who are “trying to take sides and point fingers at each other.”
She was also asked how she differs from the current U.S. president, who made a campaign stop on July 21 and endorsed her. Harris reiterated her comments from the debate, saying she is “clearly not Joe Biden.”
She also said she would “offer a new generation of leadership.”
President Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Saturday morning that the interview was “a mess of the world, a mess indeed!”
Harris’ campaign received a boost this week when polls suggested she had won her first debate with Trump on Tuesday. The Republican subsequently said he would not debate her again, having declared himself the winner.
Amid calls for more media access, Harris gave her first CNN interview since winning the nomination, along with running mate Tim Walz, last month.
Also in August, the White House Press Photographers Association blasted her campaign in a letter for “unprecedented restrictions on access” to reporters.
