(Fox News) Vice President Kamala Harris faced mockery online Thursday for telling CNN that despite flip-flopping on policy, her “values have not changed.”
In her first sit-down interview as a presidential candidate, with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz by her side, Harris was asked to explain her many major policy shifts.
“Generally speaking, how should voters look at some of the changes that you’ve made?” CNN host Dana Bash asked Harris. “Is it because you have more experience now, and you’ve learned more about the information? Is it because you were running for president in a Democratic primary? And should they feel comfortable and confident that what you’re saying now is going to be your policy moving forward?”
“I think the most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,” Harris told the news host. “You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed, and I have worked on it, that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time. We did that with the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th National Convention on July 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)
“We have set goals for the United States of America, and by extension, the globe, around when we should meet certain standards for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” Harris continued.
“That value has not changed. 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 have not changed,” she said.
Many online commentators argued that Harris’ claim she retains the same values means she is as radical as she was in 2019 while trying to act moderate to win the election.
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kans., said, “Kamala Harris’ San Francisco progressive values have not, and will not ever change. A zebra doesn’t change its stripes.”
Kamala Harris’ San Francisco progressive values have not, and will not ever change.
A zebra doesn’t change its stripes. https://t.co/AGEK7baCWS
— Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) August 29, 2024
“Kamala didn’t even remotely pretend she was explaining why the things she pretended to believe when running in 2020 are now things she pretends she no longer believes,” independent journalist Glenn Greenwald declared. “And from all appearances, there was zero attempt to insist an on answer. They picked Dana Bash for a reason.”
Kamala didn’t even remotely pretend she was explaining why the things she pretended to believe when running in 2020 are now things she pretends she no longer believes.
And from all appearances, there was zero attempt to insist an on answer. They picked Dana Bash for a reason: https://t.co/Oywyan3Xdh
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) August 29, 2024
Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Victor Joecks suggested that “When @KamalaHarris says, ‘My values have not changed,’ what she means is ‘I’m only pretending to moderate to win the election.’”
When @KamalaHarris says, “My values have not changed,” what she means is “I’m only pretending to moderate to win the election.”https://t.co/Hns9njjVxF
— Victor Joecks (@VictorJoecks) August 29, 2024
“Kamala Harris is STILL a radical San Francisco liberal!” Gilmartin Strategies president Chad Gilmartin proclaimed.
KAMALA HARRIS to CNN: “MY VALUES HAVE NOT CHANGED”
Kamala Harris is STILL a radical San Francisco liberal!
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) August 29, 2024
