Harris, Walz give first interview since becoming 2024 candidates

IN HER FIRST INTERVIEW SINCE BECOMING THE 20-24 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE — 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS DEFENDED CHANGING HER MIND ON KEY ISSUES AND GAVE HER CLEAREST VIEW YET ON HER PLANS IF ELECTED. 

FIVE WEEKS AFTER TAKING UP THE MANTLE AS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE WHEN PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCED HE WAS DROPPING OUT… HARRIS AND HER RUNNING MATE, MINNESOTA GOVERNOR TIM WALZ, SAT DOWN FOR A JOINT INTERVIEW WITH C-N-N’S DANA BASH THURSDAY. 

SHE DEFENDED CHANGING HER MIND ON KEY ISSUES LIKE FRACKING — WHICH IS A KEY ISSUE SWING STATE PENNSYLVANIA, ESPECIALLY. 

DANA BASH | CNN 

“In 2019, I believe in a town hall you said — you were asked, “Would you commit to implementing a federal ban on fracking on your first day in office?” and you said, “There’s no question I’m in favor of banning fracking. So yes.” So it changed in — in that campaign?” 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“Well, let’s be clear. My values have not changed.” 

“What I have seen is that we can — we can grow and we can increase a thriving clean energy economy without banning fracking.” 

HARRIS ALSO APPEARS TO HAVE CHANGED HER STANCE ON IMMIGRATION. 

IN THE PAST — SHE’S ADVOCATED FOR THE CLOSURE OF IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTERS AND DECRIMINALIZING ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS. 

DANA BASH | CNN 

“Just one other question about something that you said in 2019 when you first ran. There was a debate. You raised your hand when asked whether or not the border should be decriminalized. Do you still believe that?” 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“I believe there should be consequence. We have laws that have to be followed and enforced that address and deal with people who cross our border illegally. And there should be consequence.” 

“My value around what we need to do to secure our border, that value has not changed. I spent two terms as the attorney general of California prosecuting transnational criminal organizations, violations of American laws regarding the passage, illegal passage of guns, drugs, and human beings across our border. My values did not change.” 

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS ALSO LAID OUT HER CLEAREST PLAN YET FOR HER PRIORITIES SHOULD SHE WIN THE 20-24 ELECTION. 

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS 

“Day one, it’s gonna be about one, implementing my plan for what I call an opportunity economy. I’ve already laid out a number of proposals in that regard, which include what we’re gonna do to bring down the cost of everyday goods, what we’re gonna do to invest in America’s small businesses, what we’re gonna do to invest in families. For example, extending the child tax credit to $6,000 for families for the first year of their child’s life to help them buy a car seat, to help them buy baby clothes, a crib. There’s the work that we’re gonna do that is about investing in the American family around affordable housing, a big issue in our country right now. So, there are a number of things on day 1.” 

AND WHILE HARRIS WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE INTERVIEW… HER RUNNING MATE WAS ASKED TO DEFEND OR CLARIFY SOME CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENTS HE’S MADE IN THE PAST — REGARDING HIS MILITARY SERVICE RECORD AND HIS FAMILY’S USE OF I-V-F. 

FAMILY PLANNING WAS A MAJOR TOPIC ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL THURSDAY, AS WELL. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING IF HE WINS — HE’LL REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT OR INSURANCE COMPANIES TO PAY FOR I-V-F FERTILITY TREATMENTS… AND HIS ADMINISTRATION WOULD PUSH FOR ALLOWING NEW PARENTS TO DEDUCT QUOTE “MAJOR NEWBORN EXPENSES” FROM THEIR TAXES. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“We want to produce babies in this country, right? We want to produce babies.” 

WHEN ASKED ABOUT HIS STANCE ON ABORTION — PARTICULARLY IN HIS HOME STATE OF FLORIDA, WHERE THERE’S AN INITIATIVE ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT TO INCREASE THE TIME LIMIT FOR ABORTIONS. 

RIGHT NOW — ABORTION IS BANNED IN FLORIDA AFTER SIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN MOST CASES. 

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP 

“I think the six week is too short. It has to be more time. And so — and I’ve told them that I want more weeks.” 

“So, you’ll vote in favor of the amendment?” 

“I’m voting that — I’m going to be voting that we need more than six weeks.” 

*AFTER* THAT INTERVIEW — TRUMP CAMPAIGN OFFICIALS SAID TRUMP DID *NOT* CONFIRM HOW HE’D BE VOTING ON THE MEASURE. 

TRUMP HAS GONE BACK AND FORTH ON HIS STANCE ON ABORTION — BUT HIS CURRENT POSITION IS THAT THE ISSUE SHOULD BE UP TO THE STATES.

THE ISRAELI MILITARY INTENSIFIED ITS OPERATION IN THE WEST BANK — 

KILLING FIVE MILITANTS, INCLUDING A LOCAL COMMANDER, ON THURSDAY. 

THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL TO 16 DEATHS SINCE THE RAIDS BEGAN LATE TUESDAY —  

MAKING IT THE DEADLIEST ISRAELI OPERATION IN THE WEST BANK SINCE THE START OF THE GAZA WAR. 

ISRAEL CLAIMS THESE RAIDS ARE AIMED AT PREVENTING ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL, WHILE PALESTINIANS VIEW THEM AS AN EXTENSION OF THE GAZA CONFLICT. 

THE RAIDS HAVE DRAWN INTERNATIONAL CONCERN, WITH THE U-N AND OTHER NATIONS CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE HALT TO THE VIOLENCE. 

MEANWHILE, HAMAS CONTINUES TO URGE PALESTINIANS IN THE WEST BANK TO RISE UP AGAINST ISRAEL —  

LABELING THE RAIDS AS PART OF A BROADER EFFORT TO EXPAND THE CONFLICT.

ISRAEL’S MILITARY AND HAMAS — 

HAVE AGREED TO THREE SEPARATE, ZONED THREE-DAY PAUSES IN FIGHTING IN GAZA TO ALLOW FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF POLIO VACCINATIONS — 

FOR 6-HUNDRED AND 40-THOUSAND CHILDREN, ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION. 

THIS AGREEMENT COMES AFTER THE UNITED NATIONS RECENTLY REPORTED THE FIRST CONFIRMED CASE OF POLIO IN GAZA IN 25 YEARS. 

EACH ZONE WILL HAVE A THREE-DAY PAUSE, POTENTIALLY EXTENDING TO FOUR DAYS IF NEEDED. 

THE AGREEMENT, COORDINATED WITH ISRAELI AUTHORITIES, IS A CRITICAL STEP IN PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF POLIO AFTER A BABY IN GAZA WAS RECENTLY PARALYZED BY THE VIRUS. 

HEALTH WORKERS AIM TO VACCINATE AT LEAST 90% OF CHILDREN IN GAZA, INVOLVING OVER 21-HUNDRED WORKERS ACROSS HUNDREDS OF SITES.  

THE W-H-O SAYS THESE PAUSES IN FIGHTING ARE NOT A CEASEFIRE, BUT ARE CRUCIAL FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN’S HEALTH DURING THE ONGOING CONFLICT.

A UKRAINIAN PILOT WAS KILLED — WHEN HIS F-16 FIGHTER JET — CRASHED ON MONDAY DURING A MISSION — 

TO INTERCEPT RUSSIAN MISSILES, MARKING THE FIRST KNOWN LOSS OF THE U-S SUPPLIED AIRCRAFT — 

SINCE THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO UKRAINE’S DEFENSE. 

THE JET WAS RESPONDING TO A MAJOR RUSSIAN MISSILE ATTACK — WHEN CONTACT WAS LOST — AND IT CRASHED, KILLING THE PILOT. 

THIS INCIDENT COMES JUST WEEKS AFTER UKRAINE RECEIVED ITS FIRST BATCH OF AMERICAN-MADE F-16S — 

A CRITICAL ADDITION TO ITS AIR DEFENSE CAPABILITIES IN THE ONGOING CONFLICT WITH RUSSIA. 

THE F-16S HAD ALREADY PROVEN THEIR EFFECTIVENESS BY SUCCESSFULLY INTERCEPTING SEVERAL RUSSIAN MISSILES DURING THE ATTACK. 

HOWEVER, THE LOSS OF ONE OF THESE JETS IS A SIGNIFICANT SETBACK, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE LIMITED NUMBER UKRAINE HAS IN ITS ARSENAL. 

INITIAL REPORTS SUGGEST THE CRASH WAS NOT CAUSED BY RUSSIAN FIRE.  

THE EXACT CAUSE IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

FINALLY THIS MORNING … ELON MUSK’S SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM X WILL OFFICIALLY CLOSE ITS LONGTIME SAN FRANCISCO HEADQUARTERS IN SEPTEMBER. 

EMPLOYEES WERE INFORMED OF THE CLOSURE DATE IN A MEMO SENT OUT ON THURSDAY. 

THIS MARKS THE END OF AN ERA FOR THE COMPANY, WHICH HAS BEEN BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO SINCE 2006. 

ELON MUSK’S DECISION TO CLOSE X’S SAN FRANCISCO HEADQUARTERS — FOLLOWS HIS EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT — 

TO MOVE OPERATIONS DUE TO A CALIFORNIA LAW HE OPPOSES. 

TWITTER, WHICH MOVED INTO THE 1-MILLION SQUARE FOOT ART DECO BUILDING IN 2012 — TO HELP REVITALIZE THE MID-MARKET AREA. 

THE COMPANY SAW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AFTER MUSK’S ACQUISITION, INCLUDING MASS LAYOFFS, 

THE AUCTIONING OF FURNITURE, AND THE REMOVAL OF THE TWITTER SIGN. 

WITH THE OFFICE CLOSING, X EMPLOYEES WILL RELOCATE TO SAN JOSE OR PALO ALTO — AND THE GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS WILL MOVE TO TEXAS — 

WHERE MUSK’S OTHER COMPANIES LIKE TESLA AND SPACEX ARE BASED. 

MUSK CITED RECENT CALIFORNIA LAWS, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO GENDER IDENTITY IN SCHOOLS, AS KEY REASONS FOR RELOCATING.