Harris Targets Trump on ‘The View,’ Stands by Biden
WASHINGTON — During her appearance on “The View” on Tuesday, Vice President Kamala Harris chose not to separate herself from President Joe Biden’s track record. Instead, she countered former President Donald Trump’s accusations regarding the administration’s management of the southern border and disaster relief efforts.
This was one of several interviews Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, is conducting this week as her campaign seeks to engage voters who may not be highly interested in politics, just weeks before the election and the start of early voting in some states.
Harris has favored appearances on platforms like the popular podcast “Call Her Daddy,” rather than traditional political news outlets. Additionally, she has joined radio host Howard Stern and is scheduled to appear on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as part of her promotional efforts in New York.
When questioned on “The View” about whether she would have approached things differently than Biden over the past four years, Harris responded, “There isn’t anything that comes to mind,” asserting that she has been involved in nearly all significant decisions made during the Biden administration.
She highlighted key legislation that reduced insulin costs to $35 monthly for seniors and other initiatives aimed at lowering the price of prescription medications.
“These were all joint priorities,” she mentioned during the talk show. Harris has expressed her intention to expand health care benefits to encompass all Americans, regardless of their age.
Targeting her Republican rival, Harris accused him of blocking bipartisan immigration reform in Congress, a point she’s made consistently. “Donald Trump prefers to highlight problems rather than solve them. He lacks a solutions-oriented approach,” she stated.
Last year, a bipartisan group of senators worked for months on a border bill, but the effort stalled after Trump publicly expressed his opposition.
Harris also criticized Trump for unfounded claims that the Biden administration is deliberately withholding aid from Republican regions and misdirecting relief funds for housing undocumented immigrants. This accusation has been denied as “frankly ridiculous and simply false” by the FEMA administrator, while successive hurricanes have impacted the Southeast.
“It’s deeply concerning, and it’s the essence of irresponsibility and, frankly, callousness,” Harris remarked on “The View” when discussing Trump’s statements. “Lives are literally at risk right now.”
“People are losing their homes with little hope of recovery,” she shared as she recounted her visits to hurricane-affected areas in Georgia and North Carolina.
“The notion that someone would engage in political maneuvering for their own benefit is consistent with Donald Trump’s behavior; he puts his own interests above those of others,” she added.
During the show, Harris urged Floridians facing Hurricane Milton to heed the advice of local officials. She noted that residents who have dealt with similar events in the past might underestimate the current situation. “This one is going to be different,” she cautioned.
The vice president indicated that the severity of this storm is why she has been attempting to contact Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Her remarks are part of an ongoing dispute with the state’s top official regarding hurricane response.
“There needs to be an acknowledgment that we all have to collaborate to pool our resources, especially those of federal, state, and local entities, during these disasters. It’s unfortunate that this cooperation hasn’t occurred,” she expressed.
DeSantis, in a recent interview on Fox News’ “Hannity,” stated that Harris had not reached out to him until Hurricane Helene struck. He claimed he has been coordinating with Biden and FEMA regarding resource management.
“She’s irrelevant to these efforts. In fact, she’s been in office for over three years and has never added anything to our responses during these storms,” he asserted.
Earlier in the day, in reply to questions suggesting DeSantis was avoiding her communications, Harris remarked that “engaging in political games” during a crisis is “absolutely irresponsible and selfish. It’s about prioritizing the people over political gamesmanship—something you swore to do.”
Harris Responds to Claims of Trump Sending COVID-19 Test Kits to Putin
Harris described this as “a recent clear illustration of who Donald Trump truly is,” emphasizing that it was inappropriate for him to send kits to Putin, “a U.S. adversary,” especially when they were scarce in supply.
“People were dying in large numbers, and everyone was rushing to obtain these kits,” she stated. ” And this person, who happens to be the president of the United States, is sending them to Russia for a brutal dictator’s personal use.”
Trump’s campaign quickly dismissed the claims. Spokesperson Steven Cheung called Woodward’s assertions “fabricated tales” from “a truly disturbed and unhinged individual.”
On Tuesday, Harris also mentioned other Republicans besides DeSantis and Trump. When asked if she would consider appointing former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., to her Cabinet, Harris sidestepped by highlighting that she first needs to secure her election.
However, she referred to Cheney, a Trump opponent who has supported Harris for president, as a “remarkable” individual who prioritized her country over party loyalty.
Switching to a lighter topic, Harris shared her experience working at McDonald’s during her college years. “It was an experience,” she recalled. “I was responsible for the fries, watching the timer, and it was hard work.”
Harris noted, though, that while her McDonald’s wages served as pocket money for her as a student, for many others, it was a vital source of household income.
“That’s a key lesson I took from that experience,” she said. “We still have significant work to do to ensure that people can not just survive, but also thrive.”
In her last interview of the day, Harris enjoyed a beer with host Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” They shared cans of Miller High Life while discussing pop music (with Harris stating her preference for Aretha Franklin or Eminem), the San Francisco 49ers, and how her late mother would view her campaign.
“I think about her every day,” Harris shared. Yet, she added, “She’s with me in spirit every day.”
Eventually, the topic returned to Trump. When Colbert inquired about Trump losing the election, Harris listed his various defeats and labeled him “a loser.”
“This is how I become candid after a few drinks,” she joked.
