Harris says she's different from Biden because ‘I offer a new generation of leadership’

14/09/2024

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee former president Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept 10. (AP)

WASHINGTON, Sept 14, (AP): US Vice President Kamala Harris, who presents herself as the candidate of change as she runs for president against Republican Donald Trump, said Friday that she’s different from President Joe Biden because she offers “a new generation of leadership.”

In her first solo television interview since she became the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris also criticized the “hate and division that we see coming out of Donald Trump” and said she thinks people are “exhausted” by his style of leadership.

She also said she’s a gun owner and doesn’t want to take away anyone’s guns, but believes a ban on assault-style weapons is necessary and consistent with the Second Amendment.

Anchor Brian Taff of WPVI-TV in Philadelphia asked Harris to describe one or two areas where she’s different from the president.

“Well, I’m obviously not Joe Biden” and “I offer a new generation of leadership,” Harris said, adding that things once taken for granted cannot be overlooked anymore.

“For example, another plan that I have that is a new approach is to expand the child tax credit to $6,000 for young families for the first year of their child’s life because that is obviously a very critical stage of development of child, and so my approach is about new ideas, new policies that are directed at the current moment,” she said. “And also, to be very honest with you, my focus is very much on what we need to do over the next 10, 20 years to catch up to the 21st century around, again, capacity but also challenges.”

The interview was conducted in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, as Harris campaigned there Friday.

Trump, his running mate Sen. JD Vance and other Republicans have criticized Harris for largely avoiding media interviews or interacting on the record with reporters who cover her campaign events. She and her running mate, Minnesota Gov Tim Walz, gave a joint interview to CNN last month. Her campaign recently said she will begin to do more local interviews, and the National Association of Black Journalists announced Friday that some of its members will interview Harris on Tuesday in Philadelphia.